


Unexpected Meeting

by Rukiacat



Category: Marvel (Movies), The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb)
Genre: Alternate Universe - no superpowers, Angst, Blow Jobs, Fluff, Gwen is such a matchmaker, Lawyer!Peter, M/M, Prisoner!Harry, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Shameless Smut, Sorry Not Sorry, kinky Peter, long lost lovers, sexual promises, they're slightly OOC to be honest, way too much thinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-01-25 12:11:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 44,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1648190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rukiacat/pseuds/Rukiacat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has been searching for Peter everywhere, since they got separated by his father. After a murder case, Harry ends up in prison, and meets Peter - in the most unexpected situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Huge mistake

**Author's Note:**

> So, I couldn't stop thinking about putting them into different roles, and finally gave birth to this little oneshot (well, I don't know yet, I might continue this if you're interested, just tell me what you think) This is my first ever fanfiction in English (my native language isn't English), so if you find mistakes, don't hesitate to let me know, okay? I hope you'll like it:)

Finally, the last lecture has ended. Harry sat back in his seat behind his desk and watched the students mill out of the hall. When the last student closed the door behind her, he got up, gathered his stuff, took his briefcase and made his way out of the building. It was already getting dark outside, the sun had just disappeared behind the horizon; the skyline was still between the colours of light blue and rose. He loved watching the sunset, although he sadly missed it today. But still, he decided on taking a walk on the campus before going home. He sat down on the first step of the stairs, stretching his legs out. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one in his mouth and lit it. He felt his piled-up stress disappearing along with the blown-out smoke.

His calm state didn’t last long though. It was only when he heard a female scream, that he jumped up, dropped his cigarette to the ground and began running in the direction of the voice. When he turned the corner, he saw the back of a dark figure running away, but his attention was soon directed to the woman lying on the ground. She was dying.

Harry kneeled down beside her, and as soon as the girl looked at him, he recognised her. Her name was Miss Hardy, she attended one of his classes. She was a really smart girl, but Harry had always found her a bit too sarcastic.

„Mr. Osborn” she breathed out, grabbing his arm weakly. Her eyes were still shining in the dusk, and he could swear he saw a teardrop escape from the corner of her eyes.

„Don’t worry Felicia, I’ll call the ambulance. Everything will be fine” but just as he reached for his cell phone in his pocket, the girl’s eyes slowly closed down. "Stay with me!" he shouted, getting completely panicked. When he got no answer he stopped his movements, and listened. Her breathing slowed down, and after a half minute, completely stopped. _She’s dead._ The realization hit him so hard he could barely breathe. He didn’t know what to do. A girl just died in front of him, and all he could do was to stare at her.

After a minute, or an hour - he lost his sense of time -, when he got himself together again, he took a look at her body. He touched something hard at her chest, and pulled it slightly. As he found out what it was, he gasped out loud, trying to fight the sudden urge to throw up. It was a long knife, which the student got stabbed with. It had two letters engraved on it: _WW_. Just then did he realize that this was probably a pretty bad idea.

 

Harry wanted to smack his head into a wall, repeatedly, as he was led to his cell by two too muscular guards. Both of them were blonde, and a lot taller than him, the type of guys you wouldn’t even dare to speak to. Except if you’re Harry Osborn, of course.

“Hey tough guy” he didn't know where he got his sudden confidence from, but he was about to annoy them until at least one of them spoke. "You must have been a real dickhead in your previous life if you ended up working here now. I bet this job is a pain in the ass…"

“With dipshits like you it is, believe me" the guard with the shorter hair and less facial hair – Steve Rogers, as he read on his badge - spoke, his voice was admirably toneless. Harry wondered how much bullshit he has to put up with every day.

"Oh, he speaks!" smirked Harry; he wasn't about to make it easier for the guard. "And what about lumberjack over there? Is he a mute?" he looked over at the guard with the long, blonde hair and beard.

"You might want to consider shutting those lips before I get into a rage" Thor - that's all that was written on his badge - snarled; his voice was like thunder. It surprised him; for a moment he forgot the things he wanted to say. He was just about to go on, when the guards stopped, and opened the cell on his left.

“From now on, this will be your room” and with that they locked him in, and left. He barely had time to take a look at his place, before he heard a voice from the upper bed.

“That’s a pretty impressive butt right there, boy” Harry turned around to face the man who had just called him _boy._ “Oh my God, don’t look so hostile!” the man recoiled, pretending to be scared. Then he leaned forward, finally getting out of the shadows, his elbows resting on his knees. He had short, dark brown hair and stubble, and he seemed pretty short, although Harry couldn’t really see his figure.

“Tony Stark” the man made a little salute as he introduced himself. Harry had to literally force his mouth not to fall open.

“ _That_ Tony Stark? The multi-millionaire?” Stark nodded. Well, he didn’t expect meeting his childhood role model like this. He could remember how much he wanted to be like him as a teenager. After several seconds of silence he couldn’t stop himself from asking. “How did you end up in prison?”

“Someone must have betrayed me, otherwise they would have never found out about the drugs behind Stark Industries” he said it like it was natural.

“Drugs?!”

“Did you think that you could get rich without illegal trades? Don't make me laugh, kid” the glance he got from Harry for calling him kid was deadly, but Tony seemed to find it extremely hilarious. "Don't get me wrong, it's possible. But if you want to double - or triple - your wealth, then you have to take the risk"

“And how is it, that a rich man like you couldn’t cover it up?” his voice was a little bit more sarcastic than he intended it to be.

“The evidences can’t be paid off” the man shrugged, clearly not bothered by it. Or he was hiding his emotions very skilfully. Suddenly he shifted, looking oddly curious. “And how did you end up in here? After all, you’re the Osborn kid, if I’m not wrong” Harry was surprised that he got recognised. Tony must have heard about the Oscorp-scandal years ago. When his father died, the media was full of him; they wanted to know if he was going to take over the business. He had to tell them a thousand times that he didn't intend to.

“Misunderstanding” he sighed. “I tried to save the girl, but I was late. And my fingerprint is on the knife, so I am the main suspect now” when he looked at his cellmate, he could see something that looked like amusement in his eyes. And he was proved right in the next moment, when Tony chuckled, which slowly turned into laughter. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing...” Tony finally managed to calm down, but he still couldn’t hold back his smirk. “Just look at you... most of the criminals would envy your criminal-look, and yet you’re innocent” he said. Harry didn't really know what to say to that. He hadn't been told that he looked like a criminal before. Tony laid down on the bed, saluting. “Good night, roommate! The bottom bed is yours”

 

Two days had passed. He got to know his cellmate a little better; they started to get along pretty well. At first, he was a bit afraid of the other prisoners, they were twice – or even more – muscular as Harry, and they looked pretty scary. But it seemed that the look on Harry’s face was enough to keep them away. He was mostly hanging out with Tony, which added plus points to his reputation.

Today though, it was different. He was woken up by Rogers, pretty early.

“Oh, Captain Rogers. It seems we meet again” said Harry insolently, smirking at the guard. Steve just smacked him in return, making him move. After a couple minutes of walking, they stopped at what seemed like an office. There was a table in the middle of the room, and two chairs on the opposite sides. 

“Sit down, Mr. Parker can be here any minute” as he heard that name, his heart skipped a beat.

“Mr. Parker?” he asked, voice shaking.

“Your lawyer” Rogers left, locking him in. Harry could barely breathe, just the name recalled a whole lot of memories.

 

_Peter getting bullied. His grateful look, when Harry sent the bullies away. His ideas, which were genius, but got them into trouble every time. All the sleepovers they've had, watching old Marvel movies and eating tons of popcorn. Later, that hopeful look in his eyes, when he told him what he felt. The feeling of his lips on Harry’s, and his excitement on their first date._

 

Harry’s heart sank at the last memory. _Peter’s frightened face, when he told him they were moving. His tears when they parted on the airport._ It was Norman’s idea; he thought it would be the best for them, if they spent a little time apart. He still hated his dad for it.

The sound of the opening door brought him back to the present. As he looked up, he froze completely.

“Peter” he gasped out loud. It was really him, although he changed quite a lot. He was a lot taller, and he must have been working out, because he seemed to be in a pretty good shape. His always-messy hair was replaced by a perfectly styled haircut, and he looked surprisingly good in suit.

His face was completely straight, but just until Rogers closed the door behind him. He walked to the table and sank down onto the chair opposite Harry.

“Harry” his voice were lower than in his memories, although now it was barely audible. “This is the last place I expected to find you. What did you do?” he asked desperately.

“I didn’t do anything, I swear” Harry answered, desperately wanting his friend - lover? he didn't even know anymore - to believe him, almost whispering. He was still shocked, and couldn’t wrap his head around this whole situation. He looked for Peter nearly everywhere, and meets him in a situation like this? This is just too surreal.

"I can't imagine you doing what they're saying you did" said Peter, trying to calm him - to calm both of them - down. "I'll get you out of here, I promise"

“I missed you so much” he just couldn’t hold it back. He hoped their conversation wasn't being recorded.

“Me too, Harry, me too” Peter closed his eyes, massaging his temple with his fingers, seemingly trying to get himself together. He put his briefcase on the table, pulling out a folder with Harry’s name on it.

“Why did you accept my case?” Harry asked, dumbstruck.

“What do you think? I’ve been searching for you, Harry" as their gazes met, he could practically feel the emotions break out. “When I got your case, I was terrified that you ended up here. I thought that this was my last chance to meet you” his words trailed off.

They stared into each other's eyes for minutes, too blown away to talk. Harry found himself raising an eyebrow; wordlessly asking for permission. Peter seemed to get it, and he gave him a small nod. That was all he needed. He got up from his seat and walked round the table. He grabbed Peter’s coat, pulled him up and pressed his lips against his. _Oh God..._ He had wanted to do this for so long. Peter slowly put his arms around his waist, grabbing his belt and pulling him closer, which made Harry groan. It was too long ago...The kiss started out softly, and slowly became more passionate, giving out the tension of the years apart, all the desperation and loneliness. Harry had never felt more at home than right there in Peter's arms. He just wanted to cling to him, and never let go.

When Peter pulled away slightly, Harry felt like he might just collapse to the floor. He barely could hear anything through their heavy breathing and his loud heartbeat. “We really shouldn’t do this” Peter wasn’t too convincing, with his hands gripping tightly on his waist, pressing their foreheads together. He wanted this just as much as Harry. His eyes were still closed, and Harry took a moment just to look at him, to take in his features, his gorgeous face and swollen lips.

“I don’t care” he resisted.

“Yes you do” Peter opened his eyes, making Harry forget everything he wanted to say. Those chocolate eyes were even more beautiful from this close. “Because if they find out, they will take your case from me, and you get a lawyer who lets you rot in here. I can’t let it happen.” he pressed a soft kiss on Harry’s lips. “I can't lose you again"


	2. Time is up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the responses and kudos, I was practically hovering from happiness<3 So, here's the new chapter, with not so much of a plot, rather just a little smut and Tony. Enjoy! (and don't hesitate to leave a comment;)

„Woah, have you gotten laid?" these were Tony's first words when he got back to his cell.

 

They had discussed the case with Peter; he told him everything he could remember from the night– which wasn’t too helpful, but still – Peter wrote down everything, and he said that the defence statement would be done by tomorrow. After all, the charge against him isn’t too strong; they don’t have any evidence except the knife. Hell, he didn’t even have motivation to kill the girl. But it depends on Peter now, if he can write a brilliant defence statement, then he will have a chance to get out of here.

 

“What?” Harry asked, confused. He was still dazed, the events of last week and the unexpected meeting were too much for him.

“You look like you’ve just had the best orgasm of your life. Tell me, who’s the guy?” Harry couldn’t believe that his feelings were practically written on his face. He tried to cover them up so hard!

“There was no sex at all” he replied, lying down on the bottom bed, still not completely in reality.

“There had to be something” his cellmate’s head appeared upside down as he was hanging from the upper bed. Harry sighed, weighing the pros and cons of telling Tony the truth. Because he trusted him – as much as you could trust a person after two days -, but he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to tell him basically his whole past. Finally, he decided on telling him. There's no hiding anything from Tony Stark anyway; he sure as hell would find out sooner or later.

“My lawyer” he started, with a sigh. Tony raised an eyebrow at him, questioningly, so Harry went on. He told him everything, from his childhood to his father basically separating them, and now their meeting again. When he finished, he felt surprisingly relieved, like just sharing it with someone made it easier for him.

“So Peter Parker, huh?” asked Tony teasingly. “Well, needless to say, you got one of the best lawyers” He was thinking for a second, before he continued. “And your story is cute and all, but I would recommend hiding it, at least during your trials, because you have the best chances to win with him – especially that he’s extremely motivated in getting you out of here” there he glanced at Harry pointedly, and he could literally feel the reference.

“Yeah, you’re probably right”

After that, Tony hadn’t missed a single chance to joke about Harry’s “cute story”, and teased him to death. Then Harry would just roll his eyes at him, and smack him in the arm. But Tony seemed trustworthy; he didn’t say a word when anyone else could hear them. He considered telling Tony this was a good idea.

 

The day before the first trial he could meet his lawyer for a final revising of what Harry should be prepared for. They went through Harry’s speech again; Peter asked him a bunch of questions, which he could expect. After that, Peter sat back and sighed, clearly nervous.

“I think you’re ready for it”

"I don't think I can ever be ready for it" snorted Harry. Peter could probably see the worry in the prisoner’s eyes, because he leaned forward, and took his hand between his palms. “You know you have the best chances, right?” he looked Harry in the eye, promise and hope reflected in those hazel ones, distracting his thoughts into a completely different direction.

“Yeah, I hope so...” he said, eyes still locked on those beautiful brown ones. Then Harry’s gaze wandered further down, and swallowed dryly as he imagined Peter’s lips on his own. The shift in mood was perceivable immediately.

“They don’t have anything against you, except that damn fingerprint. They can’t prove it...” his words trailed off, as both of them leaned more and more forward, unintentionally, trying to get as close as possible. He couldn't help it; Peter was a huge distraction. The table was too big though; their lips stopped only inches away. Harry knew this wasn't right, that he would have to take Tony's advice, but he decided to fuck it. He started climbing on the table, sweeping away the documents from the way. Peter seemed to hesitate for a second, but he gave in, mirroring his actions. A contented sigh left Harry’s lips, as he relaxed immediately in Peter’s embrace, strong arms around him and soft lips on his. He pushed slightly on the other’s shoulders, earning a groan in return as he climbed on top of him, not breaking the kiss in the process. His other hand was in Peter’s hair, spreading his fingers through it, as he was laying him down onto the table. He took Peter’s hips between his thighs, straddling him, as he pulled away slightly. He just took a moment to take in his features, from that messed-up hair – thanks to Harry – to those shining eyes and _oh God_ , those slightly parted lips, which were begging to be kissed.

Peter’s hands started to trail up along his sides, smoothing the fabric of that awful, orange prisoner suit. He gripped a fistful of the cloth, using it to pull Harry down into an impatient, passionate kiss.

Harry started mapping out Peter’s chest, through his shirt, and let go of his hair with his other hand. He smoothed down his hand along his cheek, his throat, and grabbed Peter’s hands, which were still grabbing his suit. He moved their hands above Peter’s head, lacing their fingers together, and started to grind down against him slowly, swallowing his moans with satisfaction. It was astonishing how quickly he lost control with Peter.  Then Harry broke the kiss, biting at the other’s bottom lip gently, and slowly moving on to plant searing kisses on his jaw. Peter gasped for air, his breathing was already heavy, and he could feel his arousal against his own.

“Damn it, Harry! I’m trying to... you know... work in here!” he couldn’t help the moans between the words, as Harry reached his neck, and started to suck on it eagerly.

“If making out with your client counts as working then don't worry, you're doing a pretty good job” said Harry, practically purring. Peter couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Well, I don’t think this is the proper function of a lawyer, but I’m happy you’re enjoying my services” he answered, his smile widening as he heard Harry chuckle. He straightened up, so he was sitting on Peter’s hips. Peter suddenly shifted, looking at Harry with strict, narrowed eyes.

“What’s your excuse for such behaviour? And if the room is full of security cameras, and they’re watching us?” he asked, clearly amused at Harry’s confusion. His expression quickly disappeared though, when Harry thrust his hips against Peter’s once, causing the man to let out a choked moan.

“It’s your fault” defended himself Harry, suddenly looking all innocent. “You come in here in that hot suit, and stare at me like that... You know, it calls for a huge self-control not to pin you down like this as soon as we meet. And about the security cameras... well, they probably haven’t seen hotter scene in a while, I bet they enjoy watching us.”

As he was about to lean forward to continue from where they stopped, the door opened with a loud ‘click’ and they both froze in shock. Rogers was standing at the door, his face didn’t reflect any emotion.

“Time is up” he said, his voice is as indifferent as his expression. He must have met situations like this, thought Harry.

It took a couple of seconds for him to reanimate, and climb off the table. Peter got up as well, trying to keep a little of his remaining dignity. They exchanged a look, which contained something like apologizing from Harry, and an _I told you!_ from Peter.

This time Harry didn’t say a word to Steve on their way back.

 

“I told you!” Tony’s response was immediate, when Harry told him about their little incident. He shook his head like a parent who’s telling off his child. “A teenager has more restraint than you” Harry just rolled his eyes at the obviously exaggerated scolding.

They were walking outside in the prison’s yard – well, it wasn’t a yard, not really, it was just a basketball ground, a couple of benches, and asphalt everywhere. It was time they had a little fresh air, really. Seeing the walking people there made him miss his freedom for the first time since he got in custody.

“You’re in deep shit, boy” Harry just looked at him, with a _you don’t say?_ expression on his face, but Tony just waved, showing that he would continue. “But I might be able to persuade Rogers not to tell anyone...” Harry’s jaw dropped and he looked at the shorter man, confused. As he was about to ask if he had heard it correctly, he walked into a man’s chest.

He stepped back a little, and looked up at him. The man was tall, at least a head taller than Harry, and he had to admit; he was handsome. He had broad shoulders, gorgeous blue eyes and long, black hair. He seemed interested, a sneer on his face. He grabbed Harry’s jaw, so he couldn’t move his head.

“Look, who’s just run into me?” his smile got wider with every word. “I heard about the fresh meat, but didn't think it would be this… delicious" his voice was so enigmatic, it sent shivers down Harry’s spine, and made him want to run far away. "You know I usually don't tolerate newbies without obvious respect towards me, but I'll forgive you this time"

“Damn it, Loki, could you stop acting like a god for five fucking minutes?” Tony’s voice broke their conflict, and the man’s –Loki’s – face changed into an overkind expression. That was, if possible, even worse than his intimidating one.

“Oh, look, the big Tony Stark found his voice! What, you’re taking freshmen under your wings now?” his voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Or... are you trying to impress Rogers with being an angel?” Harry actually started liking this guy. He was a douche, yeah, but there was something behind that god-complex, that he found extremely amusing.

“None of your business” answered Tony lightly, it was visible that he had got used to Loki’s way of talking. “Oh, and I’ll deliver your greetings to Thor” he winked, and with that, they turned around, and left the man there.

When they were out of earshot, Harry couldn’t help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Seriously? Loki? What kind of name is that?”

“It’s a name parents with god-complex like to give their probably-will-become-a-god-complexed-idiot children. Like, what do you expect from a father called Odin?” Harry just thought about it for a moment, before realizing that he has a ton of questions.

"You meant Thor like the quiet viking guard usually with Rogers?"

“Exactly. They are brothers. Can you believe it? Great little family” thinking about Thor made him recall the day he was brought here. It seemed like it happened ages ago, although it’s been what, four days? How is he going to stand weeks – or even months here? Suddenly, he felt panicked, imagining worse and worse pictures. What if he messes up? What if tomorrow goes wrong, and they will sentence him to years? What if they find out, and will lock Peter out of the case? Just in that moment he became aware of something, that Tony had said a couple minutes earlier.

“Wait... what do you mean you could persuade Rogers?”

Tony’s smile was mysterious.

“Well, that’s a long story, my friend”


	3. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to start with a huge sorry. I hope you didn't forget about me, I just had tough two months. Everything held me back you can imagine; wirter's crisis, last hurray in school, camp... So, I'm sorry. But here it is. I got motivated in Italy, and this chapter kind out much longer than it should be, so I split it up into two parts, the next one will be up as soon as I have time to type it into the computer. And I'm sorry if there are any mistakes, I'm kinda in a hurry, this is the only day in the next two weeks, that I have time to upload it, so I wasn't as careful as other times. So, I hope there are still people who are reading this, and if you're one of them, then I hope you'll enjoy it!^^

Time had passed. Days, weeks, months, and they still hadn’t got anywhere. They were always waiting for someone, or something, like the evidence to be examined, or an expert to arrive. Harry was fed up with the whole case; he just wanted to get out of the freaking custody, but it didn’t seem to matter. The end of the trials came obviously closer and closer with every day they spent at the court. Harry could feel this, and became more and more nervous about it. His head was full of question to which no one knew the answers.

 

Sure, he could meet Peter almost every day, and just seeing him made it a bit easier. But they couldn’t talk about anything except the case, and they were usually grumpy and annoyed with all of this, so most of the times they ended up arguing and yelling at each other. Not to mention those monkeys who were called trial jury, and questioned every single statement of his. He often just wanted to get up from his seat and punch the nearest one in the face. But sadly he couldn’t do that, his chances were little enough as it was. He didn’t need to make it worse.

 

They were sitting in the courtroom again, for the third time this week. And it was just Wednesday! They were waiting for the judge to arrive, as usual. Why does she have to be always late?

After twenty minutes of waiting she finally arrived. She was wearing that black cloak as always, but her blondness compensated this. Her appearance was demanding respect, even the jury stopped talking. If his future hadn’t depended on her, he would have found her attractive. And if he weren’t into men, of course. She sat down behind the huge table. After the usual formal crap the trial finally began.

“Mr. Barton, please state the charges!”

And there, Harry’s brain turned off. He had heard this several times, he could recite it without even taking a look at the documents. He didn’t care about that load of crap the attorney – that dick – made up to put him into jail for years. The whole speech was a complete, ridiculous lie.

Finally he showed pictures of the one and only evidence: the knife. It was photographed from every possible point of view, pictures before, during and after the investigation. They could clearly see Harry’s fingerprint on the hilt, but somehow – how surprising – no one questioned the other, blurred fingerprint. It was obvious, that someone else touched it before Harry, and it would back his statement up, but no one seemed to care about it. It was suspicious – however, he couldn’t do anything about it.

When they came to a photo, in which they could see the monogram, he felt Peter tense up beside him. He looked at him questioningly, but he just shook his head slightly. The message was obvious: I’ll tell you later!

“As a consequence of the committed first-degree murder without aggravaring factors I suggest Mr. Osborn 20 years imprisonment"

Oh that fucker! Does he even hear himself? 20 years for a crime that they can’t even prove he committed. That’s just ridiculous. He knew that if they convicted him of first-degree murder, then 20 years in prison is a pretty reasonable sentence, considering that he could also get death penalty. But this whole thing was still a nonsense. Cases this low on evidences usually don't even get past the preliminary hearing. In that moment Harry was pretty sure; there was something bigger in the background. They probably knew much more about this case than he did, and they were trying to hush something up... He just needed to find out what. It can’t be that hard, right?

After Harry’s confession and Peter’s defence statement – for the hundredth time – the judge ordered 30 minutes break to relax a bit after sitting in the courtroom for 3 hours, and for the jury to make a decision. There wasn't much chance of them making the final decision, but Harry was hoping. He wished they would see he’s innocent, so he could continue living his little life, teaching at Columbia. And Peter...

For a moment, he imagined them sitting in Harry’s living room in the morning, half-dressed, with messy hair and sleepy eyes, drinking their coffee. Then he would kiss Peter before going to work, and the brunette would do everything he could to keep Harry from leaving. And Harry would pretend to be annoyed, but actually he would be really happy about it. And it would be just perfect. For a couple minutes, he let himself live in this imagination, but then the coming back to the shitty reality he was in was much more painful than it should have been. Suddenly, he felt desperate, and he came to a realization. When he got into custody, he didn’t really care about it; he took it as a new adventure. Because it wasn’t as bad; he got a good cellmate, hadn’t got in any fight... His life suddenly changed, and it was fun. But then he met Peter, after ten years apart. It was ridiculous, that after such long time this man – because he certainly wasn’t a boy anymore – still got him drawn like crazy. He became the reason for his will to get out of jail. He wanted to live his life again, but with Peter in it. He was hoping that the other felt the same way; after all he didn’t know anything about his last ten years; as much as he knew he could even be in a relationship. Well, it didn’t seem too likely, but he couldn’t stop himself from imagining the worst possibilities.

When Peter came up to him, he stopped thinking and focused his attention on the view. The lawyer stopped next to the huge window he was standing by. He didn’t turn to him, rather just looked at his reflection on the glass. That way he could observe Peter perfectly, without being conspicuous.

He had dark bags under his eyes, like he had spent nights reading documents and laws. He looked so tired Harry just wanted to cuddle him, and he literally had to force himself not to.

“I’m sure they’re trying to hide something” said Harry, voice low. “The evidence isn’t enough, they haven’t got witnesses against me, and the attorney’s arguments are totally bullshit. In an another case they would have justified me long ago”

Peter snorted coincidently. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that too. They couldn’t make it any more obvious, to be honest. I’ve started looking into it, but this is not the place nor the time to discuss it”

“You’re right” agreed Harry. Well, the good news that Peter had noticed this too, so he had more chance in finding it out.

A loud sigh was coming from Peter. “End of the break... Let’s see that decision!” he smiled cheerfully, and even though it couldn’t cheer him up, it made his heart beat three times faster. With this, the fear and excitement, he felt like he might get a heart attack.

Ten minutes later they were all sitting on their seats and waiting for the judge to arrive. Again. What does she even do? Harry couldn’t imagine. With every minute they spent waiting, the tension in him grew bigger and bigger. By the time the blonde arrived he couldn’t even sit still. He was drumming with his legs under the table. He didn’t hear a word of the summary of the last 3 hours; he’d been there, he didn’t need to be reminded of that. Finally, they got to the part, in which he was interested.

“So” started Miss Stacy. “due to the jury being divided and not being able to make a decision, I'm postponing the trials until further investigations" she stated. Harry was prepared for a couple possibilities, but this wasn’t one of them. Until further investigations? What does it mean?

Well, it was certainly good; he had more chance to find more facts in his defence, and maybe to find out more about the background of this case. 

“And!” continued Stacy. “During the investigations and further trials, considering Mr. Osborn’s good behaviour in prison, he’s going to spend of the rest of the custody in house arrest”

He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. House arrest? That would be awesome; he would be able to do whatever he wanted, except for going out.

“But because he’s charged with first-degree murder, thus he can’t be stated as a responsible person, the house arrest will take place in Mr. Parker’s house” there she looked at Peter pointedly.

Harry was astonished. In Peter’s house? He wasn’t sure it could be counted as a punishment; he had to practically force himself not to smile. He looked over at Peter, who was still staring at the blonde in the eye. He could practically feel the wordless communication between them. They know each other! The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Of course they know each other. He scolded himself. After all, they'd probably met in other cases as well. However, he felt his chest tighten painfully. He knew Peter swung both ways; it had been like this in high school too. And Miss Stacy was a beautiful girl; just perfect for Peter. He couldn’t fight that selfish feeling growing in his chest, instead of being happy about the result of the trial. He told himself that Peter was not his, but it didn’t help much.

When they finished their wordless conversation, Peter looked at him; he was tense, but Harry could also see a tiny hint of impishness in those hazel eyes. He could have sworn Peter would have winked at him, if they weren’t in the hall with several people.

“Your Honor” Peter turned back to her. What was he doing? “I don’t think my job description contains this”

Before he could take it personal, he realised that Peter was a very good actor. He played the indignant, yet determined lawyer, who had enough problems as it was, and didn’t need a criminal in his house. Harry’s jaw fell; even he believed Peter’s acting for a moment. Brilliant!

“Well, now it is!” replied Stacy. If she weren’t the judge, Harry could have sworn she was enjoying the situation. She struck down with her wooden hammer, and with that the trial was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I know that there isn't such thing as house arrest in your lawyers' house, and that it doesn't make any sense, but you'll have to deal with it. I also know that the trials are not quite realistic, but believe me, I did a lot of research, and I'm doing the best I can. It's just pretty hard to write about American law when you live on the other side of the world.


	4. Unfinished Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter - again -, and sorry for the formatting too, cuz currently there's no Word on my computer, so can't really format:/ Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy it, if school starts I might be able to make a schedule for writing, and add chapters more often. Until then you have this chapter:)

It wasn’t enough that they marked out Peter’s home for his house arrest, but even a guard was going to stand outside 12 hours a day at night to keep him from sneaking out. Harry got angry every time he was thinking about that. He didn't mind having to live with Peter at all, but still. He didn’t give them a reason to be this mistrustful!

 

He had just finished packing his most important stuff; he was taking his bag to the entrance hall. In the last hour he had been carried to his home, and been given one hour to get his needed things together. At first, he had just sat on his bed, trying to gather up his thoughts. Until then he hadn’t even realised how much he missed his little flat. It felt good to be back, although not for too long. Then he had realised, that there was only 20 minutes left, and started to pack in a rush. Just when he reached the entrance he heard the sound of the horn. _It must be Peter_! He hurriedly locked his house – he wasn’t about to come back here very soon.

 

The car was black, elegant, and it had darkened windows. He put his bag into the trunk, opened the front door and hopped in. He turned to face the driver with a half smile, and was shocked to see somebody else instead of Peter. _Of course, why would he drive me to his house?_ But suddenly satisfaction replaced his shock, and his smile got even wider, when he actually realised who it was.

“Oh, so we meet again! What a wonderful surprise!” sang Harry with a smirk. He just earned an annoyed look from the man. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” he put on a fake pout.

“I have to watch out for your ass 12 hours a day. What do you think?” hissed the muscular between his teeth.

"Someone's really bitchy today" sighed Harry. He just couldn't miss a chance to sass Rogers. "I'm guessing you'd rather have fun with Tony…"

“You don’t know anything. I would be really pleased if you shut your mouth” retorted the other through clenched teeth. Before Harry could come back with something sarcastic about pleasing Steve, the car stopped. They arrived. Harry got out of the vehicle and looked around. Peter’s place was on the end of the street, the last house among the terraced houses. It was a friendly, two-storey flat, with a little terrace and beautiful green lawn. Harry couldn't define the colour of the building, it was an indeterminable shade between white and brown, like beige, but not exactly. And the sunset gave it a little rosy tone too; it was beyond lovely.

Just as he dug his luggage out of the trunk, the front door opened, and Peter showed up. His appearance was flawless as usual, from the carefully pressed suit to the perfectly styled hair. He still hadn't got used to Peter's effect on him; simply just seeing him was enough to make his heart skip a beat.

"Oh, Mr. Rogers. Pleasure to meet you again. Do you want to come in for a coffee?" his face was formal, playing his role.

"Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Parker, but I'd rather stay outside and do my job"

"As you wish. But let me know if you need anything. Mr. Osborn?" he made an invitating gesture, and stepped out of the doorway, so Harry could get inside. He quickly made his way through the little front yard, and without looking at Peter - he could hardly believe that he was able not to - went inside. It was, if possible, even more lovely from inside.

"Hey" Peter closed the door behind them. Harry stood there for a couple of seconds, simply just taking in the features of the place, then turned to his lawyer and looked up at him. The brunette's smile was so wide, that it almost blinded him. He couldn't resist, but smile back. "Are you just gonna stand there, or what?" with that, Peter left him in the hall with his bag, staring.

"Would you like anything?" he heard Peter's voice a couple seconds later, probably from the kitchen. Harry followed the voice, and was immediately taken aback by the size of the open kitchen.

On his left was the light, modern kitchen with white counters and shining surfaces. Peter was gathering two wine-glasses from the metal case above the counters. On his right a staircase led upstairs, next to it a glass, round dining table with four chairs. Above it a really impressive, huge chandelier shone, lighting up the whole room. But the living room was the dominant part. It was modern, but Harry found it surprisingly homely. He wasn’t fond of modern furniture, but this place was just stunning. There was a black leather couch in front of the TV, with an armchair of the same kind next to it. Between them stood the – also – glass coffee table, with an empty cup on it. Peter must have been in a hurry when he left this morning. He imagined Peter, hurrying with sleepy face and hair, and it made him smile.

But the most remarkable part of the living room was the imposing fireplace. It was beautiful, even if there wasn’t fire lit. In front of the fireplace stood a black leather rocking chair. A huge, white carpet made the sight even princelier. The whole room was very elegant, yet surprisingly homelike. Harry felt a little out of place. His flat was nothing like this.

The room had a lot more inner height than the kitchen. It must be a gallery, realized Harry. And yes, as he walked a few steps forward and turned around, he could see the glass parapet, and three doors behind it.

“White or red?” asked Peter suddenly. Harry looked at him, confused. It took him a couple seconds to get that he was referring to the wine.

“Oh! Dry red, please” he sat down on one of the barstools in front of the kitchen counters.

“Hm, sophisticated choice” Peter opened a bottle and poured the red drink into two glasses. He gave one to Harry, and lifted his own a little to make a toast. “Let’s cheers to your perfectly chosen house arrest” and with an impish smile he took a sip from his wine. But then Harry noticed something like pride in those hazel eyes, and he suddenly got it. He stared at the brunette with wide eyes.

“You were the one who planned it! This whole house arrest was your idea!” he tried to sound accusing, but he couldn’t hide the appreciation in his voice. Peter’s expression changed, which confirmed his suspicion.

“Maybe...” answered Peter after several seconds of expectant silence. He tried, but couldn’t be mad at him; practically it was a favor from Peter. For a moment he just stared at him in a complete shock; he was amazed at his ingenuity.

"But how the hell could you manage it?!" asked Harry the only question he could think about.

"I'm very well connected, Osborn" he winked at him mysteriously, and lifted his glass to his mouth. Harry thought about how they stared at each other with Stacy, and he knew for sure. But he didn't know how to bring it up.

"Are you together with Gwen?" he tried to sound casual, but it came out as dumb as possible. He could tell that it took Peter by surprise, as he didn't answer right away.

"We were together for a short time, but it was years ago, at university. Now we're just friends"

"But you loved her, right?" he just wanted to slap himself in the face as hard as possible. He could feel that he was annoying, and he honestly wanted to shut up. But he was hopeless when his jealousy reared its head. It hadn't changed, and Harry had a feeling that it never would.

"Why does it matter now?" askew Peter the most logical question, raising an eyebrow questioningly. And damn, he was right! He was sitting in Peter's kitchen with him, in fact, he just started living with him. The past is the last thing that mattered in that moment. "What are you thinking about?" Peter broke his line of thoughts.

"I'm trying to wrap my head around why you would want me to live with you" after all, he would never admit that he was so ridiculously jealous.

"And how's it going?"

"I can only think about two possibilities: you must either really like me, or you have some kind of criminal kink and bring your clients behind closed doors…" he didn't finish the sentence, just raised an eyebrow provocatively, making his point clear. Peter's eyes widened for a second, but then he burst out laughing. God, even his laughter was terribly attractive. The real question seemed to be: what's not attractive in Peter? However, Harry didn't know the answer.

"Which option would you prefer?" asked Peter, clearly flirting.

"Hm, let's see..." Harry chuckled, playing along.

"I think it's a little bit of both" stated Peter with a half smile.

"Woah, a perverted lawyer lives together with his unjustly accused client. Pretty... interesting story" Harry quirked a half smile, just to hide his overwhelming happiness. "I should probably write a book about it"

"I would totally buy it" laughed Peter.

"Don't laugh, I might actually write one while I'm here, all bored and stuff..."

"Well, you certainly won't be bored while I'm here" his voice was so full of promises it sent shivers down Harry's spine. He took a sip from the wine - which was just perfect for his taste -, just to avoid Peter's burning glance. This was going to be really interesting.

 

After a bottle of wine and two hours of talking, the atmosphere was much more relaxed and intimate. An hour ago they moved into the living-room; they were sitting on the couch now. Although it was leather, it was surprisingly soft and comfortable. Harry leaned against the back of the couch with his side, so that he could face Peter properly.

"You know..." started Harry. "Thanks for getting me out of there"

"Don't mention it" replied Peter. "It might be better than jail. Although I don't know how much time it will take until you get tired of me..."

"I'm pretty sure you're not going to get rid of me that easily" Harry raised an eyebrow at him provokingly, unintentionally leaning a bit forward. "At least we have plenty of time to make up for the ten years we wasted"

"Oh, do you think so? And where do you want to start?" Peter lowered his voice to almost a whisper, mirroring Harry's movement. He smiled at Harry in a way that made him tense up in the best way, took the glass out of his hand and placed it carefully on the coffee table. Harry couldn't tear away his gaze from those beautiful, hungry eyes, and those soft lips. He couldn't wait for Peter to stop teasing him; he grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. He stopped for a moment when they were only an inch away, just breathing him in. He'd been dying to do this and he couldn't believe it was happening. He could hear and feel Peter's breathing getting heavier, and he sighed with relief when their lips finally met. His tensed up muscles relaxed in Peter's embrace, and he could feel the other’s hands pushing on his shoulders. He gave in, and soon he was lying on his back, Peter kissing him passionately on top of him. His hands left Peter's collar, trailing down along his sides, then back up, one hand digging into his hair while the other one pulled Peter even closer. Hungry moans escaped his mouth when Peter moved downwards and started to plant searing kisses on his jaw and throat. He could feel Peter smiling against his skin, and he had to fight the urge to just get on top of Peter and rip his clothes off in one movement. Instead, he tightened his grip on that perfectly styled hair, messing it up, and pulling him up into a hot, eager kiss.

"What's so urgent, Osborn?" smiled Peter into the kiss.

"Damn you Parker, can't you stay quiet for five minutes?" whispered Harry with a half smile. He let go of Peter's hair, and started to unbutton his shirt impatiently. "I can't undress you properly if you keep kissing me like that!" he panted, trying to keep his hands - and other parts - calm. As soon as he was done with the last button, Peter's phone started ringing. Peter laid his head on Harry's chest and let out a tired growl.

"Are you kidding me?" came his muffled voice from Harry's shirt.

"Isn't it important?"

"It might be. But sure as hell isn't important enough..." Peter slowly reached out for the phone on the coffee table, and answered the call. "Parker" he growled into the phone, still lying on Harry and not breaking the eye contact for a second. "It's not the best time now" Harry couldn't make out what the man on the other end of the line was saying, but his voice was annoyed. He could hear from Peter's sigh that it was indeed important enough. "Okay, give me ten minutes" and he hung up.

"You need to leave?"

"Yeah... the office needs me" he planted a slow, much calmer kiss on his mouth, and got up. He started buttoning his shirt back up.

"I gotta say, you look adorable with messy hair. You should wear it like this more often" smiled Harry at him teasingly. Peter just stuck out his tongue at him, while getting ready. "When will you be back?"

"I dunno. An hour, or two, tops. Wait for me, we have unfinished business" he winked, and with that he was off.


	5. You'll be late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I owe you an apology. I'm sorry for not updating for two months, I was quite busy, and everything seemed to be against me. My monitor is dying right now, I'm hurrying to finish updating before it turns itself off again, and the usual writer crisis wouldn't let me write in peace. But here it is, so yeah, I hope you'll like it!

Harry woke up surrounded by soft, warm and white sheets. He was lying on his back and it was so comfortable he could have lain there for hours without moving an inch. For a moment he had no idea where he was, but then the memories of last night came back into his mind eventually.

 

After Peter had left, he was waiting for him to come back. Luckily he found a little leftover in the fridge, and having had his dinner, he sat down in front of the TV. His last memory was the theme song of a shitty romantic drama. He must have fallen asleep on the couch. But how did he get here?

 

He sat up and looked around. The bedroom had similar colours and materials as the living room. The bed was massive and black, with beautiful snow-white sheets. The nightstands matched perfectly with the bed, the two modern lamps on them were the only light sources. On his left was a huge window, the white curtains drawn in to keep out the light of the rising sun. _Rising sun?_ It must be pretty early then.

Across the bed stood a huge wardrobe, made of the same material, of course. Peter was standing in front of it; he was in the middle of dressing, only wearing black jeans. Harry hadn’t even realised how broad his shoulders were until then. He must have been working out!

Just as he wanted to ask, Peter turned around, and his suspicion got confirmed right away. His chest was as worked out as his back; the muscles weren't too obvious, but could be seen at every movement. A wide smile spread through his face when he saw that Harry was awake.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty!” he walked up to the bed, and sat down on the side next to him. Harry made a face at that nickname, which made Peter chuckle. He was adorable, with that messy hair and sleepy face.

“Do you think a princess looks like this?” asked Harry incredulously.

“Well...” Peter quickly eyed him up and down; he could practically feel the heat of his gaze. It was crazy how those chocolate eyes made his stomach tumble and his body tensed up immediately.

“Don’t look at me like that” he wanted to sound flirty, but it didn't really come out that way; his voice was practically dying instead.

“Why?” Peter raised an eyebrow provokingly; his voice was perfectly titillating.

Harry's breath got stuck in his lungs; he practically forgot how to think properly, not to mention putting a coherent sentence together.

“I…can't…" that was all Harry could blurt out at the moment, and watched as a wild grin spread on the brunette's face as he leaned closer.

"You can't what?" the smug look on his face made Harry want to show him what he was really capable of. Controlled by a sudden urge he grabbed Peter’s shoulders and pulled him close.

"Just shut up" a contented moan escaped his mouth as their lips met. Peter climbed onto the bed, placing Harry’s hips between his knees, straddling his lap, while cupping his face with his palms, so he could easily take control of the kiss. Harry immediately forgot about the sleepiness he felt after waking up.

His hands wandered down from Peter’s shoulders, following the arc of his spine, along the line of his jeans and up, mapping out every detail of his chest. He must have hit a sweet spot somewhere, because Peter’s body suddenly tensed up, and he could feel his now obvious arousal brushing against his own through their jeans.

He let out a disappointed growl when Peter broke the kiss, but just as he was about to complain, Peter grabbed his hands, raised them over his head and before he could protest – not that he wanted to, though – quickly removed his shirt.

“Mmh, much better. You were a bit overdressed” Peter’s voice was halfway between a moan and a whisper; it was enough to make Harry shiver. He grabbed onto Peter’s shoulders, pulled him down to himself, and rolled them over, so that he was on top now.

With a smug smile he leaned down, planting a light kiss on those swollen lips, but quickly moving on, not letting him deepen the kiss. He moved further down, kissing and sucking on Peter’s jaw, his neck, earning pleased groans in return. He hoped he would leave visible marks; he imagined Peter blushing at work, having to stand against the inquiring looks. The feeling of those hands discovering his upper body brought him back to the present, and he was surprised at the effect of the other's touch; he didn’t think it would feel this good. Peter’s hands finally settled down on his hips, pulling him down, seeking more of the contact.

“How impatient” smirked Harry, biting the other’s neck playfully.

“When have you become such a tease?” breathed Peter.

“You know, it's not that easy to keep myself from ripping all your clothes off” he could hear a faint whine escaping Peter's throat at that "but it's so totally worth it if I can see you like this"

He wanted to tease him a little more, although he was really close to the limit where he would just give in, not being able to take it anymore, and tear his jeans off. He was just about to go on kissing his neck, but Peter seemed to have other plans. He grabbed Harry’s hair a bit rougher than necessary, and pulled him up into an impatient, heated kiss. As he claimed his lips forcefully, he started sucking on Harry's tongue eagerly, this new sensation driving him mad. He let out a choked groan, his grip tightening on Peter's hips. He could feel the grasp in his hair disappearing, fingers smoothing down along his sides and slipping into his back pocket. He moaned into his mouth; it was getting harder for him not to lose his restraint.

“You enjoy taking control, don’t you?” smiled Peter between the kisses.

“Who doesn’t?” Harry raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Mmh, you’re right. I just wish you didn’t have such a great self-control”

“You have no idea how hard it is” panted Harry, completely ambiguous.

“Yes, I do. I can feel it” with a kinky smile Peter arched off the bed, rubbing their hips together. Excitant sensation ran through Harry, spreading from his crotch through all over his body like fire.

“Gosh, don't do that again" warned him Harry, voice low and husky. "You're ruining my plan"

But he didn’t listen. Why on Earth would he? He couldn’t hold back a loud moan when Peter repeated his movement; it was enough for his restraint to be gone in a second. He decided to fuck it. He grabbed Peter’s hands, removed them from his pocket and moved them above their heads, completely holding him down. He started grinding down against him, in an agonizing rhythm, and Peter gasped out loud.  “I don’t want you to be late, Peter” he tried to sound serious, but it was hard with heavy breathing and a noticeable arousal.

“I don’t care, Harry. It’s my company, there’s no one who would fire me” whispered Peter between groans.

“If you say so” breathed Harry, grinding faster and pressing down even harder with every move. He needed to be closer, much closer. The two layers of denim that separated them was more than what could be called comfortable, but he was too caught up in the moment to care. He didn’t want to come just yet, but he could already feel it building, and considering the brunette’s loud moans it was mutual. After a while he couldn’t tell his groans from Peter’s, all he felt was the hot, burning mass of sensation.

“Oh my God” Peter breathed out. He lifted his head to reach Harry’s lips, but this kiss was different from the others they had exchanged. There was not only desire in it, there was something more, something deeper, but Harry couldn’t figure out what it was. He was too overwhelmed by Peter; his scent, his touch, to think further about it. He ground down a bit harder then, and he could hear Peter moan from the back of his throat, his muscles completely stiffening. He bit Harry’s bottom lip roughly, and that was all it took to send him over the edge too. He came loudly, pressing his forehead against Peter’s, his body shuddering from the sudden orgasm. Harry, unable to hold himself up anymore, collapsed on Peter, burying his face in the other’s neck. They lay there for minutes, panting heavily.

After feeling enough energy to open his eyes, Harry found Peter staring right back at him, chocolate eyes filled with satisfaction. He untangled his hands from Harry’s grip, cupped Harry’s face in his palm and pulled him into a sweet, sweet kiss.

“I could get used to this” smiled Peter as their lips parted.

“To what? Morning orgasms?” Harry’s lips quirked in amusement. Peter couldn’t help but let out a loud laugh.

“That wouldn't be bad" chuckled Peter. "But I meant you being here" somehow this short statement made Harry’s heart pound two times faster. “Even if I have to change underwear because of you” winked Peter. Harry just rolled his eyes at him, and climbed off of Peter, so he could get up.

“Even if you’ll be late because of me?” Harry pointed to the clock on the nightstand. It was quarter to eight. Peter stood up hurriedly, starting to make his way to the bathroom. "Looks like _Mr. The-Company-Is-Mine_ still has to be on time" sassed Harry. Peter froze, hand on the doorknob, and turned around. His expression was somehow creepy, but the playful spark in his eyes told a whole different story. He started walking towards Harry, pressing him up against the wall, their faces less than an inch away.

"Now, I don't think name-calling is acceptable in situations like this" whispered Peter in a way that sent shivers down Harry’s spine.

"Isn't it?" he kept on teasing him.

"Not at all" he breathed into Harry's skin. "I think I should probably teach you some respect"

“I'm eagerly waiting” at first he didn’t realize he said it out loud. Damn, why must he have a mouth with no filter? Peter quirked a naughty half-smile, and leaned in even closer, their noses brushing.

"I like this attitude, _Mr. Know-It-All_ " with that, before Harry could press their lips together, Peter let go of him, and within a second the bathroom door closed behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it. I hoped you like it, it was my first ever hardcore-smut-stuff, so it might be not that good, but please write me what you think of it, so I can be better^^ also, I had thoughts about changing the series' title, cuz unexpected meeting fits rather just the first chapter, but I don't know if I should... it has grown to the fic, at least I feel like it. So yeah, let me know what you think, and I'll try to update more often;)


	6. Honey, I'm home!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for the long break, but everything was against me... I hope you haven't forgotten about this work yet, things are getting exciting here:3 Although even I don't know how will it turn out at the end, I'll try to figure out more and more, and upload chapters more frequently. Sorry it's a little short, I hope you'll forgive me, but I really wanted to upload it

Harry woke up to the sound of gunfire. He sat up on the couch, completely frightened. He looked around, vision still blurred from sleep. It took him seconds to realize that the sound came from a crime film on the television. He leaned back on the couch, and breathed out a sigh of relief.

 _Wait… did I just fall asleep in front of the TV again? Swear to God, like an 80-year-old man…_ He got up, and felt his stomach rumbling. _What’s the time?_ He looked around, and found a clock in the kitchen. 2pm. Then it was time to be hungry, as he hadn't had anything today yet; practically Peter was his breakfast.

 

After Peter had left, he took a long, long bath for the first time in months. He had nearly forgotten how good it felt just to be completely under the hot water, surrounded with bubbles; it was so much better than the cold showers in jail! Even when it started to cool he could barely bring himself to get out of the tub. He thought about borrowing some of Peter’s clothes, but then he remembered having his sport bag downstairs, so in the end he didn’t. He was going to be locked in alone for a long time, and he had no idea what to do. He just stood in the middle of the living room, until the pack of cigarettes he brought along came to his mind. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a smoke; Tony offered getting him some – he seemed to have known everyone – but he didn’t want to get in trouble. The desire hit him suddenly and he found himself in the bedroom, searching through his bag for the pack. When he found it he slipped it into his back pocket, but he was soon faced with another problem: where? He would never smoke inside without the owner’s consent, but he wasn’t allowed to go out. Although being in the front yard probably couldn’t hurt, but he really didn’t want to take the risk. He stepped out of the bedroom, and that was when he saw the skylight on the end of the corridor. He had smoked sitting on roofs a dozen times before, no big deal. He climbed out, and sat there for more than an hour, lighting up one after another, letting his thoughts fly with the wind. Then he had gone back into the house and sat down in front of the TV, and that was all he could remember.

 

He stood up and stretched his limbs before making his way into the kitchen. He searched through the fridge, but the only thing he could find was a bowl of salad. As far as he knew none of them liked salad. So why did Peter have a whole bowl? Anyway, he continued looking through the fridge and found that there was every necessary ingredient for spaghetti.

He took everything he needed and started to prepare the meal. Around half an hour later the sauce was cooking on the cooker – electric, of course. He was about to prepare the pasta when the phone rang. He didn’t even know Peter had a landline phone. He rushed towards the sound, which came from upstairs. He picked it up and was pleased when he heard Peter’s voice.

“Hey Har” Harry’s heart skipped a beat – or two – at hearing his old nickname. “I’m on my way home and just wanted to ask if you need anything”

“Well, I don’t know…” he couldn’t think about anything at the moment, and he didn’t know Peter’s household well enough to put together a shopping list. But Peter probably had his list anyway. “I don’t think so, I’m good”

“Okay. How are you doing? Tell me you haven’t set the house on fire” teased Peter. But it made Harry remember that the sauce was still cooking, and the smile quickly froze off his face. “Harry?” asked Peter, worried, when he got no response.

“I might have…” blurted out Harry. “I need to go, I’ll call you back!”

“No need to, I’ll be there in two minutes”

Harry hung up and rushed down the stairs, but he could already hear the sound of the sauce boiling over; he was late. By the time he got to the kitchen, the cooker was covered in red, and it was flowing on the floor. He quickly grabbed the pot and managed to put it in the sink, although it burnt like hell. In the panic he forgot to put on gloves, of course… He was about to pour cold water on his hands when he heard the front door open.

“Honey, I’m home!” sang Peter, and Harry, in spite of the burning sensation in his hands, burst out laughing. “I hope you were kidding when you said the house was on fire”

“As a matter of fact…” started Harry, but he didn’t need to explain it further, because in that moment Peter stepped into the kitchen, immediately freezing in place.

“What the hell happened here?” he asked, completely shocked. Then he noticed Harry’s red palms and his eyes widened even more. “What did you do?” his fear of Peter being mad at him immediately vanished as he heard the obvious concern in his voice.

“I was just… cooking” Harry gave the best answer he could. He lowered his gaze; he felt like a child right before getting scolded.

“But I left you salad…”

_Well, that explains it._

“Pete… I don’t like salad” smiled Harry shyly.

“Well, you could have told me!”

“It’s not like you even asked me about it…” argued Harry playfully, as Peter came closer. He was waiting for a witty comeback, but the other stayed quiet. He took Harry’s hands in his palms and sighed.

“How the hell did you do this?”

“I grabbed the pot without gloves…” muttered Harry, feeling awfully lame. Peter just chuckled at that. “What’s so funny?” Harry was so ashamed he felt like he was going to die.

“You’re so clumsy…” answered Peter, clearly amused. After he took care of the injured palms, he made Harry sit down on one of the barstools, gave him ice and started to prepare the pasta.

 

“Well, you saved most of the sauce, and it’s not bad at all” stated Peter, as he put down two plates with spaghetti. The kitchen was filled with its mouthwatering smell; Harry put away the ice quickly and started to eat like a starving wolf.

“Hey, hold on, it won’t run away” laughed Peter.

“Do you know how much better it is than the prison crap?” asked Harry, mouth full, not stopping stuffing his head for a second. He couldn’t figure out Peter’s expression, but at the moment he cared more about the spaghetti. It was so delicious! He almost forgot how good food could be.

When he completely emptied his plate – it didn’t take him too long -, he looked up and found Peter staring at him quizzically.

“What?”

“Nothing… I just can’t help thinking about all the things you’ve been through and…” Peter paused, searching for the right words. “You’re _so_ strong! I mean I wouldn’t even survive a day in prison, and you’re sitting here like it’s nothing. I’m just… amazed” Harry needed a moment to think it over; Peter’s sudden straightforward words surprised him.

“I think I still haven’t digested it completely” he spoke after seconds of silence, saying the only thing he could think about. It was the only way he could explain it. “I still can’t really believe that I’m here, to be honest…”

“Well, it’s time to get used to it” smiled Peter, as he was getting round the counter; his intentions were crystal clear. Harry had a couple seconds to wipe the sauce off his face before Peter reached him, turning the barstool so he could face him properly.  As he was sitting on the stool he was slightly taller than Peter, and his face was even more gorgeous from this angle. He could see the shadows that his surprisingly long eyelashes cast on his cheeks. How the hell he hadn’t noticed that before?

Harry could feel two hands cupping his face, and he got lost in those chocolate eyes almost immediately. “Because you’re going to live with me for a while” the softness in his voice made Harry’s heart beat ten times faster. He slid down his hands along Peter’s sides, grabbing his waist and pulling him as close as physically possible. Peter leaned in closer, pressing their foreheads together. The touch of his lips was like electricity, flashing through him immediately.

“Oh, I can’t wait” smiled Harry playfully; the thought of the time they were going to spend together made him unbelievably excited. Finally their lips touched in a slow, sweet kiss, but before they could have got into it, the doorbell rang with an unpleasant, loud jingle. Harry’s eyes widened in shock, practically jumping in his seat; he was clearly not expecting anyone. 

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot…” started Peter.

“No, you completely forgot…” grumbled Harry.

“Whatever… so, as we have weeks until the next trial, I thought that we could as well dig into it deeper, and find out what they are trying to cover up. What do you think?” he left Harry on the barstool, already on his way to the front door.

“Well, it seems you have pretty much organized it without me…” but Peter didn’t answer, and a moment later he heard the opening sound of the door, and the unfamiliar voice of a man echoed through the house.

“Aww, Petey, how wonderful to see you again! It’s been so long!” Harry moved a little, just enough to see through the hall. He was immediately taken aback; the man was at least a head taller than Peter, and he was the most muscular man he had ever seen. He looked harmless, but his presence was extremely intimidating; Harry was somehow terrified of him. Peter looked uncomfortable too, although they seemed to know each other well.

“Good, to see you too, Wade. Come in!”


	7. Say something, please!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, my plan of writing chapters more regularly didn't go as planned. Again. But I think you're getting used to it. Anyways, I hope you'll like it, and don't hesitate to leave feedback! Enjoy!

A wide – and honestly terrifying – smile spread across Wade’s face, and Harry was scared of what he was planning in advance. The man wrapped his muscular arms around Peter; Harry was afraid he would break him. He knew Peter wasn’t weak or small – he was even taller than Harry – but still, he seemed so tiny compared to that giant. It would have been funny if it hadn’t been Peter he was hugging. A really weird, but painfully familiar feeling was forming inside of Harry’s chest, clenching his heart like a fist.  _Come on Osborn, don’t be ridiculous! You’re not a teenager, for fuck’s sake!_ But he couldn’t stop his jealousy, although his fears seemed to be groundless. He looked away awkwardly, lowering his gaze to the floor, waiting for them to finish.

A couple of seconds later Wade let go of Peter – who seemed to be just as uncomfortable as Harry – and started making his way to the kitchen. As he noticed Harry he just raised an eyebrow, but didn’t look too disturbed. He started opening the cupboards, looking for a plate; he probably noticed the spaghetti.

“Pete, who is this cutie?” shouted Wade with his head inside one of the counters, probably expecting Peter to be still in the hall. Harry needed incredibly much restraint not to let his mouth fall open. He looked over at Peter, who was leaning against the doorway, shaking his head disapprovingly. He sent him a  _sorry-I-can’t-handle-him_  glance, and answered the question reluctantly.

“Harry Osborn” Harry was surprised that Peter didn’t say any more, but it seemed to be enough. Wade turned to him curiously with a full plate, went round the counter and sat down next to him.

“Harry Osborn, huh?” he looked like someone who knows way too much, and Harry didn’t like it at all. He shot an angry  _we’re-going-to-talk-about-this_  glance at Peter, who tactfully ignored it.

“Do I know you?” asked Harry cautiously; he wanted to discover how he is connected to the whole story.

“No” Wade stopped for a moment to stuff spaghetti in his mouth, and continued, gifting Harry the sight of the half-chewed bite of food. “Peter told me about you looong ago”

“Uh” Harry didn’t know how to react to that. “How long ago?” that obviously wasn’t the most important question there, but that was the first which came to his mind.

“I don’t even know, man” he leaned back, visibly thinking. He looked over at Peter, hoping that he would help him out, but he was still staring at his own feet uncomfortably, avoiding their glances. When Wade saw that he wouldn’t get any help from him, he turned back to Harry with a little smile. “It was around two years after you left. He was still so pissed, kept complaining about you two not talking enough and shit... He was a real annoying brat!” he laughed. Harry looked towards the doorway, completely shocked. He wasn’t sure if he should believe this man or not, but judging from Peter getting even more awkward, it was probably true. But then... _why?_ Why had they stopped writing letters? Or an even simpler solution: why hadn’t they exchanged e-mails? Harry didn’t even remember and it was really frustrating. He would have to ask him about this when they’re alone again.

“So” started Wade again, trying to break the silence. “When did you come back here?”

“At the end of the summer”

The man was thinking for a second, as though his suspicions were confirmed, and Harry didn’t like it at all. He was right; the next second Wade asked the question he wanted to hear the least.

“And why didn’t you let Peter know you were here?” although he only asked out of curiosity, it still sounded disapproving. Even Peter raised his head at it and looked at him. He knew that this question was bound to come up sooner or later, but he wasn’t ready for it yet. He looked back at Peter, locking their gazes and wordlessly asking for help. He was afraid that Peter was too curious to help him out of this. But after seconds of uncomfortable silence he finally moved, going through the living room with loud footsteps.

“Okay, enough of the chitchat” he picked up the laptop from the coffee table and walked back to them. He put it down on the counter and started typing. “I suppose you know why you’re here” he looked at Wade pointedly.

“Of course. Your sweet little boyfriend killed someone and you want to win his case, am I right?” the word ‘boyfriend’ made Harry unbelievably happy, although he didn’t know if that was the case or not. The fact that Wade was thinking that was enough.

“He didn’t kill anyone, and you know it damn well. In fact, I think you even know who did it”

“How the hell would I know?” snapped back Wade, but Peter completely ignored him. He seemed to have found what he was looking for, and turned the laptop towards them. As soon as Harry recognized it, it sent shivers down his spine. He gasped out loud; it was  _that_  knife. He wanted to look away, he really did. But he just couldn’t. Just the sight of it filled him up with fear, made him relive that night. Peter noticed the change in his mood immediately and after shooting him a quizzical look he turned the notebook, so that only Wade could see the screen.

“Because it’s your knife” Harry froze in place. He waited for some kind of sign that he had heard it wrong, but no such sign came. _What on Earth?_ But that would change everything! How could Peter be so calm?

“Don’t be ridiculous, Pete” the man seemed to be way too calm for someone who’s being accused of murder.

“Don’t lie to me, Wade! I’m not blind, that’s your monogram carved into it! You better start talking, now!” Wade shook his head as if it was nothing. Harry didn’t like his behavior at all.

“Of course it’s my knife. If I’m well informed, I’m the only Wade Wilson here, duh” Harry’s mouth fell open, completely falling out of his role. He just stared at him, trying to absorb what had been said. “But goddammit, I lost that knife a year ago! Someone must have stolen it, so that they can pin it on me” that seemed like a really bad excuse, but Peter left it to him.

“Do you have any idea who might have stolen it?”

“If I knew it, I would have got it back long ago” Peter sighed, hoping that Wade would continue, but he didn’t.

“You can tell us anything that helps the case. Please call me if you get to know something!”

 

After that Peter and Wade were having shallow conversations, to which Harry wasn’t really paying attention. He tried to wrap his head around what he had just found out, but didn’t really succeed. It was too mind-blowing.

Wade left soon; he said he had “important things to do”, but Harry didn’t know what to think anymore. After all of this he couldn’t trust that man. As soon as he got out of the house, Peter sunk down on the couch next to him with a loud sigh. He leaned his head against the back of the couch, staring at the ceiling.

“I don’t trust that guy” he turned to Peter, who looked extremely exhausted.

“It means your natural instincts are working” he laughed bitterly.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s… how should I put it… not exactly an angel. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a bad person, it's just he had a lot of bad influences in his life...”

“But he’s obviously hiding something” murmured Harry to himself, not realizing that he said it out loud. Peter turned towards him, looking oddly impressed.

“Exactly”

“So we don’t really know more, do we?” it was his turn to lean his head against the backrest.

“No, not really” sighed Peter.

Harry took a deep breath; a question had been circling in his head ever since Wade mentioned it, and he’d been itching to ask it. Now or never.

“Was it true… what he said? About you two…” he sounded so fucking weak and pathetic, he just wanted to pretend he never said it, but it was too late.

“Yes, it’s true” he looked him in the eyes. “It was like two years after you’d been shipped away. I was like eighteen or something, with a broken heart and without experience. And he was the older, funny and handsome guy…” Harry saw how uncomfortable Peter was, but he seemed as though he wanted to tell him all this. “But looking back I see that I never loved him like I should have. I was still into you – as he said – “he let out a small laugh at this part “I just didn’t realize” hearing this filled Harry’s chest with warmth, and he couldn’t stop himself from smiling like an idiot. He crawled closer to Peter, turning his whole body towards him. He wanted to enjoy the overwhelming happiness, but he had to let Peter know one thing.

“You might be curious about the thing Wade asked me…” he didn’t think it would be this hard. He could feel Peter’s body tensing – just barely noticeable, but it didn’t escape Harry’s attention.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to”

“But I want you to know” he leaned his head against Peter’s shoulder; he knew he wouldn’t be strong enough if he had to look into his eyes. “I was teaching in Oxford after I graduated from university. What should I say? I had my connections. But one day I got an e-mail, saying that I should come and teach in Columbia for a much higher salary. Of course I accepted it! I did everything I had to; sold my flat and bought one here, and by summer I was ready to move “he took a deep breath; now for the hard part.” The first thing I wanted to do when I arrived was visiting you. I even got your number and address. But then I started to imagine worse and worse things: what if you had someone? Even worse: what if you were married? I would come here with high hopes, and your fiancé would open the door. I just… I was too… weak, you know? I’m not expecting you to understand, I’m just asking you not to think I didn’t visit you because you weren’t important enough” he held his breath for a couple of seconds, then let it out with a long, loud sigh. When he still didn’t get a reply, he lifted his head a little, just enough to look at Peter’s face. To his surprise Peter was looking at him with a thoughtful expression. After seconds – or minutes? he was totally lost in time – of staring at each other, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Say something, please!” he begged.

Finally the other’s expression softened into a little, calming smile. He leaned forward and cupped his face into his hands, looking straight into his eyes.

“I could never be mad at you for this. I think I know what you went through, and I would have done the same. Please don’t feel bad because it doesn’t matter anymore!”

All he could do was to stare at Peter’s face in a complete shock, taking in his features; those warm chocolate eyes, those lips curling into a tender smile. He reached up to caress his cheek with his thumb.

“What did I do to deserve you?” he whispered, although he wasn’t aware that he said it out loud. He felt a hand slide to the back of his neck as Peter leaned in even closer.

“I could ask the same” before he could object he was being pulled, and the next second their lips touched. He shut his eyes immediately, twining his arms around his neck. He opened his mouth, letting Peter’s tongue in. God, how great he was in kissing! It seemed like hours until their lips parted, leaving Harry breathless, but unbelievably happy.

“I’m warning you, if you keep doing such kamikaze actions I might die of heart attack” he smiled, slowly opening his eyes, only to find Peter with the same wide smile spread across his face.

“Oh no, if you get a heart attack from this, what’s gonna happen to you when I get to do what I want to?” said Peter, voice low, as he was drawing his lips on Harry’s jaw and neck. This sentence was so full of unsaid promises that he had to take deep breaths to keep himself from pinning Peter against the closest surface. It was crazy how quickly the mood could change when he was with Peter. Suddenly the searing kisses stopped, and he stood up, holding out his hand towards the still dazed Harry. “Let’s see if your palm got any better”

He couldn’t care less about his palm at the moment, he almost completely forgot about it, but he took the offered hand and followed Peter into the bathroom.


	8. Game over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I don't even have the right to apologize anymore. Well, well, here's the new chapter (and -spoiler- possibly what all you have been waiting for), I hope you'll like it! It was really hard to write, considering my constant writer's block and the fact that I started watching Shameless and got completely hooked on it. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The dull pain returned immediately after taking the bandage off, although it wasn’t nearly as bad as hours before. However, it was still looking awful.

“Does it hurt?”

“Just a little” he automatically started defending himself when Peter shot a  _you-can’t-be-serious_  glance at him. “I’m serious! It’s not that bad” Peter sighed; he obviously didn’t believe him.

“Okay, you get into the shower, and I’ll go get some ointment and bandages” with that he left the bathroom. Harry didn’t need to be told twice; at first he had difficulties in grabbing his clothes, but eventually he managed to take them off.

Although at first it burnt his palms like hell, the feeling of hot water pouring on him was indescribable. All his problems were overshadowed; none of them mattered there. He turned his face upwards, closing his eyes. He ran his fingers through his now fully wet hair, smoothing it out of his face.

He nearly jumped when he heard the curtain being pulled. He turned around quickly, only to see a completely naked Peter stepping into the shower.

“Gosh, Pete, you scared the shit out of me!” but the sight of that body made him forget about the scare immediately. The slender boy he knew was gone; a beautifully built man stood in front of him.

“I’m sorry” laughed Peter.  _Damn._  Harry could see all the muscles tensing up from that little laughter; he had to admit, that was the sexiest – and cutest - laugh he had ever seen. He had hoped that only his brain had been making Peter seem perfect in his memories, but he was terribly wrong. “What’s wrong?” the brunette’s expression quickly changed into a worried one, and he stepped closer.

“Nothing” Harry shook his head; he wasn’t sure whether to share his thoughts with Peter or not. “It’s just… you’re quite different from your sixteen-year-old self” he admitted finally with a shy smile, looking up into the other’s eyes.

“What do you mean?” Peter tried really hard to keep his poker-face, but couldn’t hide the quiver in the corner of his mouth. He was obviously teasing Harry, but Harry decided he would play along.

“Are you kidding?” started Harry, suddenly feeling confidence building up inside of him from God knows where. “Last time I saw you, you didn’t even know what a comb was” Harry happily stated that he earned a repressed chuckle in return, but he was just getting into it. “And what can I see now? Frickin’ hair gel!” he stepped closer to run his fingers through Peter’s hair, playfully messing it; it took him incredible restraint not to laugh. “And I’m just like: what the hell happened to you, Parker? Those fancy suits and…”

“Don’t tell me you don’t like it” Peter interrupted him, smiling seductively. It affected Harry immediately, in the form of a burning sensation in his stomach.  _Fuck, he’s good at distracting._

“Of course I like it” he admitted. “But stop changing the topic! I’m talking now” the brunette’s smug smile was so annoying Harry just wanted to wipe it off his face.

“Go ahead”

“Would you tell me what this is exactly?” Harry poked Peter’s shoulder. “You were like the most slender nerd I’ve ever known.”

“I think they’re called muscles” smiled Peter mischievously. “And you don’t seem to be short on them either” Harry could practically feel those chocolate eyes on himself.

“Come on, they don’t just grow bigger randomly”

“I can tell you one thing that has definitely grown bigger” he raised one eyebrow followed by a suggestive half-smile. “And not just on me” he added the last part as his gaze wandered further down.

“For fuck’s sake, Parker” Harry shook his head, desperately trying to hold back his laughter but failing miserably. “Is this your best pick-up line?”

“I have to say, I was prepared for more kinds of responses to this, but yours wasn’t one of them”

Harry couldn’t decide if he was just playing being taken-aback or he really was.

“Oh, was I supposed to jump on you after this?” he had to admit that the idea was appealing as hell.

“To be honest I thought that would happen sooner than you laughing at me” Peter shrugged. He looked kind of hurt, and Harry almost fell for it, but his eyes betrayed him; they were shining playfully.

“Well, you gotta try harder” Harry felt like a sassy bitch, but he enjoyed it _so fucking much_. “I’m not gonna fall on my knees from a couple of words”

Peter's eyes became several shades darker in a fraction of a moment.

"What if I fall on my knees? Does that count as trying harder?"

Harry licked his lips to get rid of the sudden dryness the words caused. He swallowed once, twice; he couldn't take his eyes off of the man in front of him. As Peter stepped closer, his brain stopped working; it was too overwhelmed by the other's presence. The game was over.

Peter placed his hands on the wall next to Harry's shoulders, trapping him between that hot body and the cold tiles. He leaned in, squeezing out every bit of air from between them; Harry felt like he might actually jump on him if he kept up this slow-motion. Fuck playing hard-to-get; he wanted him _now_!

When their lips were just inches away he couldn't take it anymore; he slipped his palm on the back of Peter's head, grabbed a handful of his wet hair and pulled their lips together. He could feel Peter smiling, and he knew: that's exactly what he wanted. But he didn't give a damn. He could feel Peter's hands starting to wander on his body, smoothing down along his sides and settling on his hips. His grip tightened as their sudden hard-ons brushed together, nails digging into Harry's skin. It didn't take much time until they were only a hot mess of tangled lips and searing touches.

"Pete, slow down" Harry pulled on his hair to get him farther away, but the other didn't seem to care; he moved on to kissing Harry's neck instead. His breathing shuddered as his lips reached the sensitive skin below his ear.

"Don't tell me you want to stop or I'll cut my balls off" he sounded fairly out of breath too.

"No... that's not... it" he panted; talking was kind of difficult with all the blood pumping downward instead of his brain. "Just... the thought of having sex in the shower is… _hot_ , but... can we get to the bedroom?"

"Why?" grunted Peter; he seemed to have reached the limit of his patience.

"Because this shit is damn cold" Peter just growled at that; Harry didn't convince him. He had only one card left: the joker. "If we get to the bed, you can do whatever you want" the kisses on his neck stopped in an instant.

"Fuck, Harry! Are you trying to kill me?" but he didn't leave time to answer. He placed a quick last kiss on his lips and grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the shower. "We'll take care of your hands after"

As soon as his feet touched the floor, Peter threw a towel at him and started drying himself. Halfway through he got tired of it and just wrapped it around his waist. As he turned around, Harry was taken aback by the sheer intensity of his gaze; all he could do was to wrap the towel around his waist and follow Peter. 

They got upstairs in a record time -it was under ten seconds - but it felt way too long. Peter shut the bedroom door behind them, and pinned Harry against it. He laced their fingers together on the two sides of Harry's head, pressing their bodies together.

"You happy now?" he could hear the intention of sounding annoyed in the other's voice, but annoyance wasn't the first thing that came to his mind hearing those groans. Again, Peter didn't leave time to answer; he got rid of both of their towels and started kissing him like there was no tomorrow. They turned around and started stumbling towards the bed, until Harry's calves found it. He tried to keep his balance, but Peter let go of him and pushed on his chest slightly, making it impossible to stand. He fell onto the soft sheets; seeing Peter stand in front of him all naked and wet created a whole new level of excitement. He felt like he could just come from the sight.

Peter started climbing on top of him; he placed his knees on the sides of Harry, rolling their hips together and earning a hollow moan from him. He leaned in closer, their lips almost touching; he was still teasing Harry. How the fuck he didn't lose all his restraint by now?

Harry had to make a move fast, or else he might have come just from making out like some horny teenager. He rocked his hips up, seeking for more contact - and trying to get rid of the other's restraint. Peter shut his eyes immediately, a loud groan escaping his throat.  _Finally!_

Harry ran his fingers through that wet hair, grabbing it and pulling him down into a passionate kiss, their lips practically slamming into each other. He could feel him giving in, all his self-control lost. It was the type of kiss which lit his whole body on fire and sent a shiver down his spine at the same time. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

Peter moved on and started kissing and biting his way down Harry's jaw and neck, sucking just at the right places. Only when he moved further down to his chest did Harry realize what he was up to.

"No way" he pulled on Peter's hair, forcing him away from his stomach. There was no way he would last more than two seconds if Peter went down on him. He didn't want to come embarrassingly fast, but with those skills Peter had - he still hadn't received a blowjob as good as the one Peter gave him about ten years ago - that would be the case.

"Why?" whined Peter, to Harry's surprise. Did he really want it so bad? Hell, even Harry wanted it so bad, but not when he was this close to exploding. “You said I could do whatever I want!”

"Because I won't last long"

"Me neither" Peter would have gone back to kissing his way down if Harry hadn't kept his head still.

"Please" he didn't intend on sounding this desperate, but it worked.

"Fine" he captured Harry's lips in a reassuring kiss, then stood up. Harry felt cold, Peter not being pressed up against him all of a sudden. Although at least he had a little time to catch his breath and calm himself.

Peter was back in just seconds, throwing the lube and the condom on the bed. He climbed on top of Harry, attacking him with his lips again, while pouring lube onto his palm.

As he felt the first finger inside, he let out a contented moan. Peter started moving it in and out, and he threw his head back in pleasure.  _God, how can someone have fingers this long?_

He thought the second finger would never come, but when it finally did his toes curled in pleasure. It was quickly joined by the third one, but Harry was out of patience - and his mind too.

"Jesus Christ, Peter, I can take it"

"How impatient..." he tried to sound teasing but his breathing was erratic. Harry watched his actions as he reached for the condom and rolled it onto his dick. He was surprised to see that Peter was already dripping.

Peter grabbed his left leg under his knee, lifting it up and placing himself carefully. He leaned down and locked their lips as he pushed inside ever so slowly.  _Oh, God!_

By the time Peter was all the way inside, Harry was nothing but a writhing and moaning mess. At least Peter was panting just as hard. 

He had a little time to adjust before Peter started to move. But after that there was no mercy. He was pounding into him at an inhuman pace; Harry was sure that their moans were echoing through the whole house.

His trail of thoughts was interrupted soon; Peter happened to find the right spot. Harry cried out, stars dancing in front of his eyes. _If he keeps this up…_

All it took was a few more thrusts, and all of Harry's muscles tensed up, shaking from the force of his orgasm. He could barely sense Peter falling over the edge too; he was fighting the black out that tried to pull him under.

Peter collapsed on top of him; he seemed to have similar difficulties as Harry.

"You know" started Harry after several minutes of silence, when he was able to breathe properly again. "It wasn't this great in my dreams"

He rather felt than heard Peter chuckle.

"What can I do, I'm just that good" Harry couldn't help but punch his shoulder at that weakly.

"Hey, don't steal my role! I used to be the cocky, pretentious asshole"

"The moral of the story: pretentious kids take it up the ass in the end" he wiggled his eyebrows, and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"Idiot" he rolled his eyes, still smiling.

Peter stood up and got rid of the condom. Then he grabbed Harry's hands to pull him to his feet.

"Come on" he tried once, twice, but even as his third attempt failed, he threw his hands into the air, exaggerating. "Get your lazy ass up and finish that shower"

"I've just, let me quote the classics, taken it up the ass. I'm not sure that I can even move right now"

"Come on! I was super gentle with you"

"Good to know. I'm afraid to imagine what it's like when you're rough…"

"Oh, don't worry, I'll show you once" winked Peter.

After a couple seconds of silence Peter let out a loud sigh.

"It seems I have to finish that shower alone…" he shrugged and turned towards the door.  _Oh, that son of a bitch!_  Harry jumped up like he was chased, and got out of the bedroom before Peter. The latter watched this with a huge grin, then shut the door behind himself.


	9. Fucking Parker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm quite proud of myself for updating this soon, let's be honest. Well, I have nothing else to do, as my room is being painted, but whatever. Here's another chapter, and there might be one soon too, but don't take it for granted. I haven't even planned it out properly. I hope my chapters aren't too short though…

Harry was walking on the campus, lit cigarette in hand, watching the rosy sky turn dark blue as the time passed. After a last puff he flicked it down, stepping on it with his heel to stub it out. He was just about to go home, when he heard a woman screaming for help. Harry froze in place; this was a scream for life. Someone was in great danger.

He started running towards the voices as if he was chased. As he turned the corner, he saw a dark figure in the distance, but his attention was quickly directed to the woman two steps away from him. She was lying on the ground, dying. Harry kneeled beside her, and as she turned her face to look at him, he recognized her. He knew he had heard that voice before; it was one of his students, Miss Hardy.

"Don't worry Felicia, I'll call help, they'll be here in a minute. Stay with me!" spoke Harry.

Felicia grabbed his forearm, desperately trying to say something through the blood leaking from her mouth.

"Why…"                                                      

"Shh, don't speak! I'll call help" he fished his mobile out of his back pocket and wanted to type 911, but the girl still hadn't let go of his arm.

"Harry…" she whispered. "Why… did you kill me?"

Harry recoiled and his eyes went wide immediately.  _What?_  She must have misunderstood him.

"No! No, listen, I came here to help" he tried showing her the mobile but the grudge in her eyes still hadn't disappeared. He looked around hoping that anybody near could confirm his innocence, only to see that dark figure coming closer. No words could describe the fear that rushed through his body. He looked back at the girl, but her eyes were closed. He leaned down and listened, but she wasn’t breathing anymore. _She's dead._  The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt like it couldn't be worse, but oh how wrong he was!

As he looked up, he saw the man - it was definitely a man, he must have been at least one head taller than Harry - making his way towards him. When he was only about ten feet away, Harry started crawling backwards, leaving the corpse there. He had a feeling he needed to get as far away from this man as possible; he somehow knew that he was the one who had killed Felicia.

It was when his back hit the wall that he knew he was fucked. He just hoped he would last without passing out; that would mean his end.

The man was only two feet away from him when he kneeled down in the grass, getting in eye-level. Harry tried to sneak a peek, but he could see nothing under the hood, except for darkness. It was really bizarre; there wasn't even fully dark outside.

"What you did to that girl is unacceptable" the stranger shook his head, a knife shining in his hand.

"I didn't kill her!" Harry shouted desperately. He tried to crawl, again and again, but the wall didn't let him; the man's head kept coming closer to the point where Harry could feel his breath.

"Nobody's gonna believe that"

"You were the one who killed her, not me!" he kept on shouting, secretly hoping that someone would hear them and intervene. He didn't look away from where he thought the man's eyes were, even when he felt the cold metal pressing against his neck. His breathing became even more erratic and shallow, and he closed his eyes, waiting for his throat to be slit.

"Open your eyes, Harry!"

 

"Harry!" his eyes snapped wide; the first thing he saw was Peter's face above him.  _It was only a dream._

"Hey, it's okay!" Peter brushed the damp hair back, pressing a kiss on his forehead. "It was only a dream. You're safe" he rolled onto his side, letting Harry cling to him. He buried his face in the crook of Peter's neck; it was only then that he realized his whole body was shaking.

It was really weird; he was used to these nightmares, as he got them every night in jail, but this was the first time since he got out of there. It wasn't even the dream that freaked him out, rather that one moment after waking up when he thought he was still in his cell.

"Better?" he didn't feel like talking so he just nodded, hoping that Peter would get it. He took deep breaths until he felt completely calm again. Feeling Peter's arms around him seemed to be much more effective than staring at Tony’s bed above him for hours.

When he was able to talk, he put a little distance between them to look at the other man properly. He was fully dressed; even his glasses were on, which made him ridiculously adorable. Harry could see the laptop behind him; it seemed he had been working in bed. He looked over at the clock on the nightstand; it was almost nine o'clock.  _What?_  He looked at Peter, confused.

"Aren't you late for work?"

"Today is Saturday" smiled Peter.  _Already?_ Damn, they must have really got into the everyday habits.

During the past week they started looking for information, as this whole case was fucking weird. Usually Harry was sitting hours in front of the laptop, from early morning until late night. Peter could barely drag him away from it. Thinking about it, it might have been the reason for the nightmare… That would actually make sense.

"I'm sorry" murmured Harry. He felt kind of… weak, waking up screaming and shaking like a kid.

"Don't apologize" Peter rolled his eyes. "A person practically died in your arms. That's a fuckton of emotions to get through"

He shook his head; of course that Peter was right, but still, he should have been through it by now. How long were the nightmares going to haunt him, for fuck's sake?

He started to get up from bed, but as he turned onto his other side Peter threw his arms around him and a leg over his hip.

"Mmm, don't go" he snuggled as close as possible, murmuring the words into Harry's neck. "It's the weekend, we can finally stay in bed all day"

"How am I supposed to get shit done when you start being so clingy?" his intention was to sound tired or annoyed, but he couldn't fight back his smile.

"If getting shit done means doing research on the laptop 12 hours a day then no, you don't need to do that" Harry just shook his head, still smiling.

"Won't we be bored, just lying around all day?" he turned his face as much as he could to see Peter.

"Nah, I'm sure we'll figure something out" the brunette's half smile told everything as he leaned forward and started placing kisses on the back of Harry's neck, just below his hairline.

"This is your big plan?" chuckled Harry; Peter's mouth left a tickling feeling behind.

"Isn't it good?" asked Peter between kisses, slowly making his way towards his mouth.

Harry was just about to say something witty, but the words became stuck on their way out as Peter slipped a hand under his T-shirt, leaving a burning trail with his touch. He rolled onto his back, carding his fingers through Peter's hair, pulling him as close as possible. He tried to deepen their kiss, but the other didn't let him; he always pulled away after a couple of seconds. Harry let out a small whine, but only earned a wicked grin in return. He could feel those fingers running down along his sides, and he gasped out loud when they slipped under the fabric of his boxers.

They ended up staying in bed until noon.

 

They were sitting in the kitchen, having their lunch - if cereal and milk can be considered lunch - and Harry had just finished the story of his dream.

"Did you use to get them every night?" Peter seemed so taken aback as if Harry had just told him that he indeed killed Felicia.

"Yeah" sighed Harry, stuffing another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "But it always changes"

"What do you mean?"

"Like I'm not just dreaming the same shit over and over, some details always change. Like the setting or the dying person is different…"

"Like who?"

"Well… like you" he looked down, suddenly feeling really lame.

"Me?"

"Yeah" he peeked up from under his lashes, but the only thing he saw on the other's face was pure surprise. "After I first met you, you were the one dying for several nights" Peter hummed as a response, sinking into his thoughts for minutes.

"And what else changes?"

"Sometimes they think that I stabbed them. And when they do, the actual murderer comes back and wants to kill me"

"Wait, you've seen the killer in your dream?"

"I can never see his face. He always wears a hood, and it's plain dark under that. It's fucking weird."

"So that's who you were talking to..." murmured Peter.  _Wait, what?_

"Please, don’t tell me I was talking too!" he felt embarrassed enough as it was.

"Yes, you were. You were saying - well, shouting - that you didn't kill her, over and over"

"Awesome" he shook his head, stood up and walked over to the sink to wash the dishes.

"Oh, what a diligent housewife I have" grinned Peter. Harry just shot a deadly glance at him.

"Say that again and I'll stab you with a fork” Harry looked at him with his best threatening expression, but the other completely ignored it.

"Don't worry though, you always talk while dreaming, not just when it's a nightmare" continued Peter after several minutes of silence.

"Yeah, that is really comforting to know, thank you" Harry was proud to hear his own voice dripping with sarcasm. Perfect, just as he intended. He decided to test Peter. "What did I say the night before?"

The mischievous smile spreading on the brunette's face couldn’t mean anything good.

"There were mostly just moans to be honest... The only thing I understood was, I'm quoting: _Peter, ah, don't use your teeth_ "

"Fuck you" laughed Harry, feeling heat creeping up his neck. True, that dream was quite heated… Probably that's why Peter almost burst out laughing when he woke up that morning.

"That's what you've been doing lately" winked Peter. "But don't worry, I only use my teeth intentionally"

"Gosh, you never shut up?" Harry couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

"I'm flirting, dipshit, don't you get it?"

"I hope you're better at blowjobs than at flirting" scoffed Harry, knowing that Peter was going to take it as a challenge.

"Do you want to make a bet?"

"On what?"

"I bet you wouldn't last a minute" smiled Peter, his eyes shining in a way that was unmistakable.

"Somebody's really confident here… You sure about that?"

"Hundred percent"

"Okay" he wiped the water off his hand, holding it out, and Peter shook it. He wasn’t a fucking virgin, he could last one minute…"What does the winner get?"

"The winner gets to tie up the other one" Harry's jaw dropped; he studied Peter's features to see if he was joking, but he seemed dead serious.

"Woah, I didn't know you had a bondage-kink" laughed Harry. He had to admit that the image of Peter's hands tied up was pretty fucking hot though.

"I've never actually tried it, but here's the opportunity. So what do you say?"

"We already shook hands, I'm not going to back off"

"Good" smiled Peter, getting up from his seat. Harry swallowed hard, waiting for Peter to make a move, but he turned around and started making his way towards the stairs. "I have a meeting soon, I don't know when I will be back"

Harry let out an annoyed sigh. _Fucking Parker_.

"But it's Saturday" he shouted; Peter was already upstairs. But he didn't get an answer.

He was just about to ask again, when the other was back, having changed into a more elegant outfit. Harry had to admit that those dark jeans fitted him perfectly.

"I know, but it's not work… Well, kinda"

"What?" frowned Harry, completely confused.

"I'll tell you when I get back" he went round the counters and quickly pecked Harry on the lips. "Don't set the kitchen or yourself on fire please"

"Not funny"

It was only a matter of moments until Harry heard the front door shut behind Peter.


	10. Dreams and orgasms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how you feel about changing the POV, but from now on there are going to be several chapters from Peter's POV.  
> Also, I must admit that this chapter could've been up a lot sooner if I was good at planning in advance. But apparently I suck at it. I started writing this chapter right after I uploaded the last one, and I finished it surprisingly fast, but then I realized: that chapter should come later, because the events there are really close to the ending, and before I finish this fic I should portray their everyday life too. So I had to start over. And writing smut takes a lot of time for me, but here it is finally! I hope you'll like it!
> 
> P.s.: It's almost twice as long as a normal chapter, and I'm quite proud of myself for it. Also, I want to upload at least one more chapter before the end of summer , but don't take it for granted!

Peter stopped his car at a busy part of the street and walked two corners to an abandoned café. It was a shame that this place hadn't got the recognition it deserved; they made the best cappuccino in New York. But at least it was always calm and quiet; it was the best place for meeting people, even if you wanted to keep it secret. This was the perfect choice for them: because of the case they weren't supposed to talk, but luckily no one could see them here.

He pushed the door in and took a deep breath. He could smell the scent of incenses immediately, and already felt himself getting calmer and more cheerful. He loved the scent of this place; it reminded him of his years in college, as he spent an insane amount of time here as a student. He practically lived here at that time; when he met his friends or needed a quiet place to focus on studying, this café was always his choice. It also reminded him of the time when he and Gwen were together, but he honestly didn't miss that period. He had always been more attracted to men, but when they first met he found her breathtaking. As time went by though, it was obvious that they were rather friends than lovers, so they broke up. But they'd been friends ever since, and he really needed her help now.

Thinking about Gwen, he looked around and was relieved to notice her sitting at the table furthest from the entrance. No one else was there beside her and the young barista guy behind the counters. He ordered a cinnamon cappuccino, then made his way towards his friend.

„Finally! I thought you would never show up” she stood up and hugged Peter over the table.

„Shut up, I was almost on time” extenuated Peter; being on time had never been his strength.

„Sure” she imitated looking at her non-existent watch. „If being 15 minutes late counts as being on time then yes, almost”

He just rolled his eyes at her and took a seat opposite the girl. Her appearance was immaculate as usual: the flawless eyeliner and the shiny lip gloss were practically her trademarks, just like those light designer clothes. She'd always been smart, and it was a really wise choice of her to study law; she quickly became well-known among people of higher ranks and that's how she became one of the youngest judges of all times. And apparently being a judge came with a pretty good paycheck. Peter couldn't really see the point of her adoration towards clothes, but he would never say a word about it. If it made her feel better…

„How's it going, big boy?” she changed to a more serious expression, but still couldn't miss the opportunity to tease him.

He hated being called 'big boy'. He didn't really know how this name came up and when, but Gwen and Wade had started using it to annoy Peter, although they had never even met. That was enough for him to hate it.

„It was going perfect until you came up with that shit again” grunted Peter.

„Okay Mr. Grumpy” it was her turn to roll her eyes. „What's wrong?”

„Nothing, I said I was fine”

„Oh, please! I'm not going to believe that” she shot an irritated glance at him. „Basically you're never bitchy. What happened? Trouble in paradise?”

„Nothing like that” snorted Peter. He didn't want to pour his problems on Gwen, but she wasn't going to give up once she knew something was up.

„Then what?” she insisted, and Peter finally gave in.

„I'm tired, Gwen” he rubbed his eyes and rested his face in his palms. „I'm tired of not being good enough, that no matter what I try it's a dead end” he sighed, avoiding looking at her. „I've tried a fuckton of possibilities, but we can do nothing until we find the guy to whom the other fingerprint belongs. And I think you know that it's impossible” he saw Gwen was about to open her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. „I'm fucking terrified even though it's not even my future that depends on it”

„Well, it's kind of your future too” she pointed out. Needless to say, it didn't help much.

„Of course I can't tell him all this, it'd just make things worse”

„You can't keep it secret! He's an adult, he can cope with it”

„No, Gwen… He has enough problems as it is, he doesn't need to worry about the case more than he does now”

„How is he holding up?”

„He seems surprisingly okay compared to all this shit. Aside from the nightmares…” he shut himself up, but it was too late. He wanted to slap himself in the face; he felt like he shouldn't talk about it to anyone, because it kind of felt like he was betraying Harry. But he was very worried, and Gwen might be able to help them somehow. At least Peter hoped so.

„He's having nightmares?” he had only seen her surprised just a couple of times through the years, but now she definitely was.

„When he thinks about his case too much, yes”

„Did you try to keep him from running his mind on it?”

„I can't stop him from thinking!” he let out a bitter laugh. „But yes, I've tried, and he's a stubborn idiot. He won't listen. He rather has nightmares every night than stop investigating”

„I think he wants to do something. I mean I would feel totally useless if I had to stay indoors all day doing nothing”

„That makes sense actually… But still, he relives that night nearly every day in his dreams and I don't think that's very healthy. I mean I would go crazy if I had to see all of that more than once”

„Peter…” she slid her hands on the table towards him, took his hand into hers and squeezed it reassuringly. „I know you care about him, and that he's important to you, but you worry too much. He has to process what happened to him during the past months, and his brain chose to do it in the form of dreams. Nothing unusual” she smiled. Peter wondered what would have happened to him without Gwen. She helped him through the toughest times, finding the solution to problems in just seconds and saying the wisest things which put things into a new aspect. Just like now; things didn't seem so bad after she put his unnecessary worries aside.

„Yeah, you're probably right” he rubbed his face, voice lower than before. He realized that only his worries were keeping him running all day, and now that they -partly- disappeared, he just felt exhausted. He reached for his cappuccino, hoping that it would keep him awake at least until he got home. „I'm just… it's only been a week since he's living with me, but I got used to it… to him _so_ much… I just don't want this to end. Sure, I would love to be done with this shit and know that he won't go to jail, but I'm afraid that he doesn't want to stay with me after, you know?” it sounded really dumb coming from his mouth, it was so much better in his head, but he actually felt better after getting it off his chest.

„Why would you think that?” she had a talent for asking the perfect questions; he had no good answer for this one.

„I… I don't know” he admitted.

„Then you're just being paranoid”

He didn't have anything to say to that.

 

Minutes later he remembered the reason why he called Gwen in the first place.

„Oh my, I almost forgot!” he slapped his hand on his forehead.

„What?” frowned Gwen, being dragged out of her daydreams.

„The real reason why I called you here is because it's Harry's birthday soon…” he paused a little, not knowing how to continue, but Gwen foreran him.

„Don't tell me you're planning a surprise-party” she seemed taken aback, which was totally groundless, but he had no time to think further about it.

„No, Jesus!” objected Peter a little louder than he intended. He lowered his voice. „He might love throwing and attending parties, but sure as hell no one will come to party at my house”

„Damn, you really hate parties, don't you?”

„If I'm the one who has to clean up, yes!” he stopped there; for a moment he forgot where he wanted to go with this conversation. „Anyway, I called you because I have no clue what to do. I thought you might be better at gifts than me, and that you maybe have an idea”

„I might be better at gifts, but you forgot one tiny detail; I don't know him”

„What would you give him?” he kept on trying.

„I don't know” she shrugged. „It's different. My gift would be something cliché and impersonal. But you know him, and with a little effort you can give him something that he won't forget”

„Like?”

„Think, Peter! There are a lot of opportunities, you just have to be creative. How much time do you have?”

„One and a half week”

„Perfect, that's more than enough” she slapped her hands together. „Do something memorable, because he's going to need it”

„What do you mean?” Peter froze in place; he had a very bad feeling about this.

„People are starting to become impatient. They are saying that Harry's going to flee if we don't continue the trials soon”

„That's bullshit”

„We all know that” Peter felt endless admiration towards Gwen for putting up with those assholes. „I postponed the case to give you time, and I don't know how you're progressing…”

„Not so well” interposed Peter.

„But they are pushing me to appoint the date for the next trial. I can maybe put them off for two weeks or a month, tops, but after that I have to comply with them or they will do everything to replace me, and…”

„Then we're fucked. I know”

„Pete” her lips curved into a sympathetic smile. „I don't know what's so special about this case, but it stinks. Go find it out, and shove it into their faces at the next trial. I trust you, you can do it”

„Thank you, Gwen” he smiled at her wearily.

 

They didn't stay long after that; with every minute they spent together the chances of being seen just increased. Peter paid for their drinks, and they agreed to leave separately. He waited for her to get out of sight, then another three minutes, and made his way out of the café. He carefully looked around; he felt like he was in a thriller and it made him slightly paranoid.

He finally made it to his car; he wanted to get home as soon as possible, but he remembered he had to do the shopping. He started the engine and dialed Harry's number to ask if he needs anything. It rang several times, but there was no answer. He tried the landline phone too, but nothing.  _What the hell happened?_  He tried not to worry too much, but needless to say, it didn't work very well.

He stopped at a small shop and ran through the rows hoping he wouldn't forget anything.  _Tomatoes, bread, toilet paper, tissues…_  That should do it. He was at the dairy products, picking up milk when his gaze settled on the whipped cream. He wouldn't deny; it got his imagination running. Controlled by a sudden urge he put a bottle into his cart; it will be useful later. Luckily there weren't many people, so he didn't have to queue for very long. He quickly put all the stuff into the trunk and hurried home; the thought of having something happened to Harry occupied his mind.

He didn't bother parking in the garage, he just jumped out on the driveway, grabbing the plastic bag full of freshly bought stuff, greeted Rogers - he had no idea how that man could stand outside 12 hours a day - and went inside. He dropped the bag down in the kitchen, and started looking for Harry.

He didn't need to go far though. The TV was on in the living-room, and that could have only meant one thing. He walked over to the couch and couldn't fight back the smile spreading on his face. Harry was laying on his front, mouth open, a leg and an arm hanging down; he was on the edge of falling onto the floor. Faint snoring and soft murmurs escaped his throat; he was dreaming, but it wasn't a bad dream. Peter was torn between wanting to wake him up and letting him sleep peacefully. He decided to let him sleep at least until he cleaned up the kitchen. He picked up the plastic bag and put everything away, then going into the kitchen he found that it was already shiny neat. He frowned; he could clearly remember the mess they'd left in the morning. Well, afternoon. Whatever. He glanced over at the couch; Harry must have been really bored if he didn't have anything better to do.

He walked back into the living-room, leaning against the back of the couch. He watched the blonde as he slept; Peter could only see him sleeping this peacefully on rare occasions. He was usually in a sweat with a frown on his face; it was good to see his face calm like this. He watched him for minutes, studying his features and running his fingers on his hairline gently. He smiled when Harry's hand reached up to grab his, and brought it down to his chest, holding it tightly.

„Harry?” he called out, but the other seemed to be still asleep. He smoothed his hair out of his eyes with his other hand, hoping that he could wake him up without making him grouchy. At first he just rolled onto his side with a groan, clinging to Peter's hand even tighter. „Hey, sleepy-head!” he sang louder, earning another groan from the other.

Harry mumbled some inaudible words, his eyes still closed.

„Wake up, Grandpa! My grandfather used to fall asleep in front of the TV” laughed Peter, freeing his hand from the other's grip and flicking his nose playfully.

„Fuck off” groaned Harry, but it wasn't really harsh. He finally gave up, opening his eyes and rolling onto his back. „I was having such a nice dream…”

„I see” smirked Peter, his eyes flicked down to the noticeable bulge in the other's pants. He looked back up to his face, only to see a wicked grin spreading on his lips. „Dreamt about me?” he asked with a provocative smile.

„How curious… so you want me to tell you?” Harry teased, his eyes shining playfully. The sleepiness seemed to be gone immediately.

„Show me” asked Peter, voice low. He bent forward a little more above the back of the couch, bringing their faces closer. He raised one eyebrow challengingly and it worked; Harry stood up immediately and rushed towards the stairs. Peter turned around and was just about to follow him, but the other shook his head.

„Stay there”

„What? I thought…” he was confused; he thought that Harry agreed to show him his dream.

„Who said it took place in the bedroom?” Harry winked. „Take a seat, I'll be back in a second”

He practically had to force himself to sit down; he was too curious to stay still. He had no idea what was about to happen, and that created a whole new level of excitement.

It was really a matter of seconds until Harry was back, but by that time Peter was a nervous wreck - in the good way, of course. Harry went round the couch and put the lube and condom on the glass table. The look on his face told Peter that he knew exactly what kind of effect he had on him.

He kneeled down on each side of Peter's hips, straddling him. He was moving maddeningly slowly; he wanted to tease Peter to the extremities.

He wasn't too far from his goal though.

Peter desperately wanted to touch him, to card his fingers through that messy blonde hair and pull him closer, but the other part of him wanted to wait for Harry to make the next move. He wanted to figure out the other's plans, and it could only happen if he stayed calm. He felt completely helpless; it was driving him crazy. He wasn't used to not being in control, but he kind of liked this lineup. Okay, he liked it a lot.

He could feel Harry's hands starting to wander around his body as he started grinding down against him. His hands were everywhere: they smoothed up along his sides, caressing his jaw, his cheeks and digging into his hair. His breath got stuck in his throat and his hands crept up to the other's hips unintentionally, his grip tightening every time Harry rocked their groins together. He leaned forward to steal a kiss from his lips, and let out a small whine when the blonde pushed him back against the couch. He could see the quiver in the corner of Harry's mouth; he was shamelessly enjoying being in control.

He tilted his head and started placing open-mouthed kisses on Peter's neck, not missing the opportunity to make him shiver by breathing into his skin. Peter let his head fall back, giving him more room to work with. The other didn’t hesitate for a second; he started sucking on his neck so much that he was sure it’d leave a hickey by tomorrow. He hated the omniscient glances he got when he went to work with hickeys, but it felt just too fucking good. He wasn’t really in the state to form any coherent thoughts anyway.

When he felt fingers digging into his hair, he looked up and met Harry’s hungry eyes, he didn’t care anymore. He slid his hands up Harry’s back, pulling their lips together.  _Finally!_  He let out a low moan, not being able to fight it back. It wasn’t ineffective on Harry either; he could feel his grinding become harder, his breathing shuddering. Harry’s fingers grabbed into the fabric of his shirt, pulling it upwards. When Peter still hadn’t let go of him – he was too lost in the kiss – he pulled away, but only an inch.

“Raise your hands” he groaned, the commanding tone still audible in his voice made Peter obey. Harry pulled it over his head, tossed it onto the floor, and his lips were on Peter’s again immediately. Peter slipped his hands under Harry's T-shirt and he could feel those muscles tense under his touch. He caressed his skin, moving his hands upwards, pulling the fabric along. Harry raised his hands obediently, and as soon as he got rid of his shirt he pushed on Peter's shoulders, making him lay down onto his back.

He could feel the excitement rushing through his body again; he hadn't bottomed much in his life, but now he was more than ready to do so. He found himself wanting to feel Harry inside _so_ badly.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the blonde attacked his chest with his lips, leaving a trail of red marks leading to the waistline of his jeans. He unbuttoned it and sucked on the skin just above the hem of his boxers, knowing it'd drive Peter mad.

„Fuck” breathed Peter, digging into that blonde, messy hair and squeezing his eyes shut.

Harry started dragging his pants down along with his underpants, and he lifted his hips to make it easier for him. He was left sprawled naked on the expensive leather, and Harry stood up to quickly get rid of his remaining clothes too. He climbed back on top of Peter, not missing the opportunity to brush their erections together.

When the touch of Harry's skin on his own disappeared, he raised his head, confused. The blonde was kneeling above him, only his legs touching Peter's, and he was squirting lube into his palm. Then he gave himself a few strokes before sliding his hand between his ass cheeks, and that was only when Peter realized what was going to happen. His eyes widened in shock - and arousal - and he took a long, sharp breath. Harry wasn't planning on fucking him on the couch - that would be too simple. Making Peter watch him as he fingered himself then riding him into the leather; that was more like Harry.

He didn't know how much he could handle of the sight of Harry, eyes shut and mouth falling open, moaning under his own touch. Just as he thought he couldn't take it anymore without touching himself Harry stopped, opening his eyes, reached for the condom and rolled it on Peter's length.

After giving Peter a few absentminded strokes, he placed his hands on his chest and slowly sat on his dick. Peter moaned out loud, his head falling back against the armrest of the couch. He placed his hands on Harry's hips, guiding him as he started moving slowly.

The blonde leaned down to lock their lips together as he started speeding up his movements. He was just getting into the kiss when he felt Harry's breath shuddering, and his muscles clenching around him. He hit the right spot.

He bucked his hips up against Harry, trying to go deeper inside. After a few thrusts he managed to find his prostate again, and started hitting it repeatedly, making Harry groan into his skin with every movement.

It was getting harder for him to concentrate.

He lost all the self-control he’d had before, writhing and letting out inhuman noises from the back of his throat. He was _so_ close!

Harry lifted his upper body, supporting himself with his hands on Peter’s chest. He wanted to say something, but the words got stuck on their way out; the change of angle suddenly pushed him over the edge. A loud, contented moan fell from his lips, head falling back and muscles tensing up as he came. Watching him come was much more than what Peter could handle, and the sudden tightness was enough: stars were dancing in front of his eyes as he shot his load.

Several minutes after, when the afterglow ended and he was finally able to breathe properly, he looked up, only to see Harry smirking at him smugly.

“I hope it was better than in your dream” smiled Peter wearily. The lassitude he felt at the coffee shop struck down at him again.

“I don’t know, someone woke me up before the good part” implied Harry.

“What an asshole” laughed Peter.

“At least he made it up to me” shrugged the blonde nonchalantly. Peter tried to hold back a yawn, but the other noticed.

“All it takes is riding your cock to get you drowsy?” teased Harry with an impish half-smile. Peter just smacked the back of his head in return.

“That’s easy for you to say! I’m not the one falling asleep in front of the TV every day” he retorted.

“Fuck you too” Harry punched his shoulder, trying to sound harsh, but the quiver in the corner of his mouth betrayed him.

Peter just laughed at that and moved his hands up, smoothing the damp hair out of Harry’s eyes and cupping his face. He pulled him closer until there were only one or two inches between them.

“As you wish”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot: I had to reread the first chapters because I kinda forgot how it started, and looking back at it, it's so ridiculously written! So I decided to rework the first couple chapters. Don't worry, I won't change the events, I will just put it into a nicer and grammatically proper form. So if you haven't heard from me for a long time, then check out the earlier chapters because there might have been changes!


	11. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last chapter of the summer! I hope I can keep up with regular updates during school (seeing how it went last year, it's not likely, but whatever)   
> Also, it's longer than usual, again. I hope you'll like it!

Harry woke up wheezing, covered in sweat, with the sheets tangled around his ankles. Peter's frightened expression was still dancing in front of his eyes crystal clearly, chocolate eyes widening as the life left his body. He raised his hands to rub the dream out of his eyes, and was surprised to feel something wet on his face. He froze in place; he had never cried in his sleep before. It was weird, but he couldn't say he was surprised. He seriously started to get fed up with these nightmares.

He rolled onto his side, and suddenly the dream wasn't so important anymore. Peter was sleeping peacefully on his front next to him; he had never seen him this calm. Well, he had never seen him asleep either. He always fell asleep later, and was awake by the time Harry woke up. He didn't know how Peter could function with only a couple hours of sleep daily.

He shuffled closer to him and ran his fingers along the brunette's hairline. When his eyelashes flickered, he quickly pulled his hands back, scared that he would wake him. But Peter just stirred a little and murmured a few inaudible words. He reached out again, and caressed his cheek with the back of his hand.

He watched him for minutes, letting his gaze wander around his features, observing every little detail he had missed before. Peter had changed quite a lot since they last met, but in his sleep he looked almost exactly like his 16-year-old self. Just thinking about their teens got his mind running into a hundred different directions, until it turned back to the nightmares. He didn’t hate them: he got used to living through that night over and over. But on those nights when Peter was the one dying… He didn't know why his brain did this to him, but waking up in fear of having lost him was killing him. Just like the uncertainty about their relationship. _If_ he could call it a relationship, of course. He wasn't sure about his feelings yet, not to talk about Peter's. All he knew that he wasn't going to let him out of his life again.

He tried, but getting some more sleep seemed to be a lost cause. He carefully rolled onto his other side, looking at the digital clock on the nightstand. _3:01am. Awesome_. He got up and walked over to the wardrobe to put on pants. He didn't feel like searching through all the drawers, so he picked out the first pair of jeans he found. Luckily he could find a pack of cigarettes in his own drawer - well, technically it was Peter's, but he let him use it -, so he put it in his back pocket and left the room quietly. It felt like he hadn’t had a smoke in ages, and right then he needed it badly.

 

Peter didn't want to wake up just yet. He forced his eyes shut, trying to sink back into the dream he had been in just seconds ago. But the more he tried to recall it the more it faded away, until the point where he couldn't remember it at all. He reached out, groping after Harry to curl up with him, but all he found were the cold sheets. His eyes swung open; the bed was empty. Strange. He pushed himself up to his elbows and looked around; he was alone in the utter darkness. _Why is it so dark?_ He looked over at the nightstand. _3:49am_. This happened every time when he went to bed early; he woke up in the middle of the night and felt like shit in the morning. But he was more concerned about Harry's whereabouts. He had no idea why he woke up so early.

He got up and made his way out of the bedroom. The air was unusually fresh in the corridor; a cool breeze made his whole body shiver. He walked over to the skylight and his suspicions got confirmed: it wasn't fully closed. Just as he was about to close it did he notice the stool placed under it. He stepped on it and pushed the window open, looking around. It was almost a full moon; he could easily spot Harry sitting on the roof, resting his elbow on his knees, a cigarette in his other hand. He was staring up at the sky, observing the stars peacefully.

„Hey” spoke Peter softly, not wanting to scare him. Harry winced, turning his head towards the voice, obviously startled. He must have been really caught up in his thoughts.

„Jesus, you scared the shit out of me” he let out a huffed laugh. He took a long drag of his cigarette and held the smoke in a little before blowing it out. He patted the tiles next to him, wordlessly inviting Peter.

“A minute” he hurried back into the bedroom and picked out the jeans he left there last night. At least he just wanted to, because they weren’t there. _Weird_. He threw on his old, raggedy-ass sweatpants and went back to the window. He stepped onto the stool and pulled himself up until he could sit up on the frame. One glance was more than enough for him: they were far too high for comfort. He crawled towards Harry carefully and sat down next to him, letting out the breath he had been holding in. He willfully ignored the smug look on the other’s face.

“Is that fear I smell?” the blonde chuckled, taking another drag and poking him with his elbow playfully.

“You know, at times like this the temptation to punch you in the face is unbearable” snorted Peter.

“That’s the most beautiful compliment I’ve ever heard” he reached up and wiped a non-existent teardrop out of his eye. Now it was Peter's turn to poke him between his ribs.

„Brat” he mumbled, rolling his eyes. It was crazy how Harry never failed to make him smile.

„Jerk” he coughed, directing his attention back to the stars above them. Peter knew he had always loved watching them; he would have even put money on him knowing all the constellations.

They sat there in silence for minutes after that, just enjoying the quiet company of each other. Peter could feel the upcoming autumn on his skin, although it was barely the middle of August yet. The air outside was surprisingly cool compared to a summer night, but he couldn't say he was cold. It was the other way round: it was quite pleasant. Finally it wasn't so hot and sultry as it had been during the previous days, they could stay outside for more than five minutes without getting sweaty.

The moon lit up the neighborhood perfectly, covering the roofs in a beautiful, bluish light. He looked over at Harry, who just finished his cigarette, stubbing it out and flicking it onto the ground. He took a moment to just observe the other, his messy hair, huge T-shirt and black jeans...

„Wait a minute” Peter spoke up, eyeing him suspiciously. „Are those my jeans?”

Harry looked at him from under his lashes, a tiny hint of guilt shining in his eyes, but the sight is completely ruined by the small smirk in the corner of his mouth.

„Sorry” he said, obviously not meaning it the slightest. „Nice pants though” he added the last part in a mocking tone, his cheeky smile widening into a grin.

„Fuck off” huffed Peter, trying his best not to laugh.

„Why, it's hot” retorted the blonde, taking the worn-out fabric between his fingers.

„Sure” scoffed Peter, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Harry just hummed, his fingers trailing along the fabric absently. His expression was soft, the fondness in his eyes was something Peter wasn't quite used to seeing. He had never seen him this... _vulnerable_ before. He reached out to card his fingers through that messy blondness, smoothing it out of his face in a surprisingly tender gesture.

„Hey, what's wrong?” because there must have been something wrong that Harry's smug smile disappeared so fast. He lifted his pale blue gaze to meet Peter's, his hand settling on his thigh. He stayed quiet; he obviously didn't want to tell Peter. He and his fucking stubbornness! It seemed like he had to pull the words out of him one by one. „Your dreams?”

That was the first thing he could think of, but it turned out he was right. After a minute or so of silence the blonde looked away again, giving in.

“Yes” his voice was barely more than a whisper. He looked so subdued it made Peter’s heart ache. He wanted him to feel better, to just be happy, but he couldn’t do anything, and it was killing him. He took Harry’s hand in his palm and pressed soft kisses on his knuckles, making Harry look back at him, confused.

“Don’t suppress your feelings, Har” he said, keeping their gazes locked. “I’m here, talk to me! _Please_ …”

Harry’s eyes widened at his pleading tone, suddenly looking oddly scared.

“Why won’t you tell me?” continued Peter. “What are you afraid of?”

He could see something break behind those beautiful eyes before he hung his head, breaking the eye contact, and started to speak.

“I’m terrified of my dreams becoming real” he finally admitted. He peeked up at Peter to see his reaction. “When you die in the dream, I’m fucking terrified that when I wake up you won’t be there”

Peter had no words. He just stared at Harry, completely baffled. He had no idea how Harry could live with all of this; if he had to be through the things Harry had been through, he would’ve gone insane by now. He pulled him closer, putting his arm around his shoulders and planting a soft kiss on the top of his head.

“I’ll always be here, Harry” he whispered. Only then did he realize that this was much more than what they had said to each other before. Since they met again after those long years, they hadn’t talked about their relationship at all. It just sort of happened, and they were content with what they had – at least Peter definitely was –, so saying something like this out loud was a pretty big deal. And for a moment, he panicked. But then he realized, that he wanted this. He _needed_ Harry, and this simple thing they had. And the uncertainty of the past weeks was gone in an instant. He rested his chin on his head and repeated it, now fully aware. „I'll always be here”

He could feel Harry freeze in his embrace, seemingly understanding the weight of this statement. Then he nuzzled his face into Peter's neck, relaxing completely.

„But what if I go to jail?” after a little while he freed himself from Peter's embrace, looking up at him questioningly. Peter watched him carefully, but he couldn't see anything but pure interest in those ice blue eyes.

„You won't”

„But what if I will? You know, I'm an adult, I won't break down if I hear the truth” it was amazing and terrifying, all at once, how he sounded just like Gwen. If he hadn't known for sure that they hadn't met, he would have thought they teamed up against him. But this way it just proved that she was right. „For instance I know that we're not doing very well”

Peter shook his head, burying his face in his palms. He really didn't want to do this right now.

„I swear it's like hearing Gwen…”

„Gwen?” Harry frowned, a confused expression on his face. „You spoke to her?”

„Yeah” the blonde's expression changed at his answer, but Peter couldn't really define it. He knew that Harry wasn't exactly fond of Gwen - he didn't understand it though, considering how they were similar in so many aspects -, so it might have been that. But it also could be Harry's stupid, groundless jealousy. _Who knows?_ „And she said the exact same thing as you did”

„Seems like we have something in common!” cheered Harry with a sarcastic edge in his voice, clearly not meaning it.

„If you knew how much you actually have in common…” snorted Peter, shaking his head in disbelief.

„So, about the case…” he tactfully ignored Peter's statement, changing back the subject.

Peter sighed, knowing that the Gwen-topic was over, at least for now.

„I don't really know more than I had known before…” he started. „I can only tell you what I think is going on, but these are not facts so don't take them for granted” he warned Harry, but the other didn't say a word so he took it as encouraging to continue. „Our biggest problem is clearly the jury. Because they are divided, which means that exactly half of them thinks you're guilty and half of them not. But with this much evidence and the obvious other guy in the picture, that could only happen if they are paid by someone to find you guilty”

„Paid to… find me guilty?” Harry repeated, eyes wide in shock. „Why would they do that?”

„Because there's a fairly huge chance that the person who wants to see you behind bars is somehow connected to the murder, if they're not who did it themselves...”

„But isn't it illegal? I mean manipulating the jury…”

„Yes it is” he was quite impressed with how familiar Harry got with common law in such a short time.

„But that means we only have to find one person, and all the problems are solved!”

He suddenly got so enthusiastic, and his eyes lit up in a way that left Peter speechless. He just stared into those sparkling eyes, hating himself for having to break down his enthusiasm. He would have loved to keep him in this hopeful state, but he deserved much more than being lied to.

„Yeah, but you know that it's not that easy, right? Besides, this is all just a theory” he glanced away, avoiding his gaze; he just couldn't watch that angelic face change into a disappointed expression.

„Yeah, you're right” his voice was so broken that it made Peter's heart ache.

„We'll figure out something, don't worry” he said it to calm himself just as much as Harry. „I'm not giving up on this”

„You're a sap, Pete” after a little while of silence Harry looked at him with a huge grin, but Peter didn't take offense. He knew that's just the way Harry was; he did this when he didn't know how to react.

„Great, _Dickhead Harry_ is back! I almost started missing him” smiled Peter, nudging his shoulder softly. Harry let out a small laugh, but his expression softened again soon, to Peter's utter surprise.

„I'm just… really grateful for, you know… everything” he mumbled, absently fumbling with the hem of his T-shirt. Peter was always baffled when Harry let his insecurities show; it was a rare sight, to say the least. He didn't exactly know how to respond to that, so he figured he would stick with joking.

„Who's the sap now?” he mocked, using his own words against him. The blonde just shook his head, trying to hold back his smile, but failing miserably.

„Well, now you're just being a dick”

„Why, it's okay when you do it, but when I do it it's suddenly not?”

„Yes?” he turned it into a question, but still managed to say it like it was obvious.

„Asshole” Peter coughed, pretending that it was just a trip. He watched the other’s face break into an honest smile, and it filled him with some kind of pride. Knowing that he could bring this out of Harry, not just his usual, cocky self, made him extremely proud.

He found himself staring at the blonde in a trance, the temptation to kiss him nearly unbearable. It was an unfamiliar feeling; he had never felt this strongly attracted to someone. He wasn't quite sure that it was just attraction ,though, but he didn't want to think about it any further. So he obeyed the strange force, leaning closer and placing his hands on the two sides of Harry's face, cupping it gently. The smile quickly disappeared at that, and he was staring back at Peter with wide eyes, his gaze settling on his mouth eventually. He took another moment to take in his features, just getting lost in the moment before brushing his lips against the other's ever so softly. He could feel a hand slip to the back of his neck as Harry pulled him into a sweet, sweet kiss. As their tongues met Peter felt like he would never get enough of this.

 

They were still sitting there hours later, after having watched the sun rise above the horizon. Peter never really understood what was the big deal about sunrise, but now he definitely got it; that peaceful, calm state couldn't be compared to anything he had ever felt before.

It was only when they were about to climb back in that he remembered what he wanted to ask him.

„Hey, I almost forgot...” he stopped, not knowing how to continue.

„What?”

„You know, your birthday is coming soon... and I don’t exactly know what to buy. So if you have any idea, you can tell me” he said hesitantly, giving up on being subtle.

“Well, I could use a pack of cigarettes…” smiled Harry shyly. “This is the last pack I have”

“Still not thinking about quitting, are you?” sighed Peter, shaking his head disapprovingly.

“But aside from that” Harry didn’t answer his question, dropping the subject way too fast “I just want to get out of here” he must have realized how that came out, because he quickly corrected himself. “Don’t get me wrong, I love being here, but… I’m locked up” he looked Peter straight in the eyes, and he was taken aback by the desperate honesty he saw in those blue depths. “It’s been only a week, but sometimes I feel like I’m choking. It would be nice to go out a little, maybe have some fun…”

“Why, you’re not having enough fun with me?” he looked at Harry with a wicked grin, trying to cheer him up a bit. It worked, because the blonde looked up at him with a grin mirroring his.

“Yeah, that’s clearly the point here” he snorted.

“Obviously”

Peter didn’t say any more; the idea was already forming in his head. He didn’t think Harry would make it easier for him, but he might have just led him to the best gift. At least, he hoped so. Sure, it would take a lot of phone calls and effort, but it was manageable.

The plan was unfolding in his mind so perfectly he just couldn’t hold back a satisfied smile. Harry noticed it, of course.

“What?” he asked, curiously observing Peter’s expression.

 “Nothing” answered Peter, still smiling.


	12. Horror Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must admit, I finished this chapter in a hurry, because we're leaving in like half an hour, but I really wanted to share it with you guys. So here it is! I apologize for any mistakes I've made, but I don't have time to reread the chapter. Also, I'll be gone for over a week, and I'm not sure if I'll have time/inspiration to write so don't expect an update anytime soon.  
> P.s.: Huge kudos for 0t4r14 for commenting! You give me inspiration to write and update more frequently, thank you very much!

As the screen went black and the credits started to roll, Harry got up from the couch, taking the empty bowl with him and going into the kitchen. They had been sitting in the living room since Peter came home from work, watching movies one after another. They had already watched two horror movies, but they were so awful that they ended up commenting on them, which left both men in tears from laughter.

Harry took out another bag of popcorn – the third so far –, putting it in the microwave, and watched Peter who was setting up the next film.

“Another _fantastic_ horror?” he asked, stressing the middle word sarcastically.

“No, this is actually a psycho-thriller” he flashed a wicked smile at him, knowing how much Harry got scared at _every_ damn effect. “Also, it has a fairly high rating online, it can’t be that bad”

“Wasn’t that what you said before the first one as well?” he raised an eyebrow pointedly.

Peter just shot a deadly glance at him, turning his back to him and sitting down on the couch.

“A little more enthusiasm, maybe?”

Harry just rolled his eyes and turned back to the microwave as he heard its beeping sound. After getting the grown bag out and screwing around with it, not wanting to burn himself, he finally managed to pour it into the bowl. He started making his way back into the living room, and just as he sat down beside Peter he could hear light buzzing coming from the other’s direction. Peter winced, standing up and making his way towards the bathroom while getting his phone out of his back pocket. Harry watched his figure disappear behind the wooden door and shook his head, humming unapprovingly.

Ever since their little talk in the middle of the night Peter had been acting weird. He was talking on his phone a lot, and he always went to another room while doing so, as if he didn’t want Harry to hear the conversation. He was obviously hiding something, but Harry didn’t know how to feel about it. He didn’t want to push it, but after all the honesty on the roof… He couldn’t help but feel betrayed. He didn’t know what could be the problem, but it was eating him. Maybe Peter regretted saying those things? Just the thought of it left a tight feeling in his chest. He remembered how good it felt to hear those words from him, the warm sensation settling in his stomach as he buried his face into Peter’s neck. He looked like he meant it… What changed?

The sound of the opening door interrupted his trail of thoughts and he barely had time to wipe the worried expression off his face before the brunette dropped himself onto the couch next to him.

“Ready?” he turned towards him with a huge grin.

“No, but I don’t think it matters” he looked up at him before taking a handful of popcorns into his mouth.

“That’s the spirit!” Peter cheered and pressed ‘play’ on the remote.

The film was full of horror clichés, but it was fucking terrifying. They watched the stupid girl going down to the basement in the middle of the night with just a flashlight – because the lights down didn’t work, obviously. As she got closer to the source of the sounds ever so slowly, ominous music playing in the background, Harry instinctively shuffled closer to Peter. A door opened in front of her without her touching it, and as she stepped inside a dark figure appeared in front of her, followed by loud music.

Harry screamed, jumping in his seat and bumping his leg into the coffee table. He almost dropped the bowl of popcorn into the air in his fright.

“Fuck!” he groaned, leaning his head back against the couch, heart pounding like crazy. He squeezed his eyes shut, burying his face into his palms.

“You okay?” chuckled Peter, shamelessly enjoying watching him freak out.

“No” replied Harry, voice muffled and drawn.

“Come on, it was _so_ obvious” laughed Peter, nudging him softly. Harry, still overwhelmed from the jump scare, just turned his head slightly and shot a tired, but deadly glance at him.

“I’m glad you find it funny” he sighed, still on the edge of heart attack. He could hear a small chuckle escape Peter’s throat and in lack of anything better he threw a handful of popcorn at him.

“Hey!” the other shoved at his shoulder playfully, getting a piece of popcorn out of his shirt and throwing it back at him. Harry opened his mouth just in time to catch it, flashing a smug smile at the brunette after chewing it. Peter’s eyes widened slightly, visibly impressed. “Real smooth! How did you do that?”

“It’s not that hard from this distance” Harry shook his head. “Here” he picked one out of the bowl and turned towards the other, aiming carefully. Peter opened his mouth obediently, and Harry tossed it, missing it by an inch.

“Come on, that was just lame!” complained the brunette, rolling his eyes.

“Well, you’re supposed to move your head, not just wait for it to fall into your mouth”

“Admit it, you suck at aiming” spoke Peter, folding his arms expectantly.

“No, I don’t” denied Harry, knowing that the other was probably right.

“Okay, watch this” he picked up a popcorn. “Open your mouth and don’t move your head”

Harry did as he was told, and needless to say, Peter didn’t miss. The piece of popcorn flew straight into his mouth without even touching his lips.

“See? It’s not that hard from this distance” the other raised an eyebrow provokingly, quoting Harry’s statement from earlier.

“Asshole” the blonde sighed out loud at that, annoyance clear in his voice. As Peter’s lips quirked into a mischievous grin Harry decided to ignore him and turned his head towards the movie they had been ignoring the past couple minutes. He watched as a group of teenagers were out in the woods in the middle of the night – he had no idea who they were, or more importantly, why they were there – sounds of evil omen following them. He was getting into it again, clutching the bowl tighter as the tension grew. He soon became completely focused on the film, but not for long; the buzzing of Peter’s phone startled him, making him actually drop the bowl this time.

“Seriously?” exclaimed Harry, not even trying to hide the disapproval anymore. He glanced at the phone just in time to see the name _Gwen_ on the screen before Peter picked it up from the coffee table.

“Sorry, I gotta answer it” he stood up and gazed at Harry questioningly before making his way towards the bathroom. Harry just shook his head before bending down to pick up the scattered pieces. By the time Peter got back he was done with it and even ate half of it. He looked at the brunette quizzically to which he responded with a surprised expression.

“What?” he asked as he placed himself right next to the blonde, stuffing popcorn into his mouth.

Harry didn’t know whether he should share his concerns with him or not, so he decided to ask carefully.

“You’re talking on the phone a lot lately…” he started out, not looking at the other.

“Well, I’m quite popular” he flashed a teasing half-smile at him, trying to ease the tension.

“Yeah, sure” he turned his head away, trying to get an honest smile onto his face, but he didn’t really succeed. Peter seemed to get that something was wrong, because he swung his arm around Harry’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

“I’m sorry I’m always busy” he leaned in to whisper into his ear. “Believe me, I’d rather spend time with you than work or anything else… But I think I can make it up to you”

The feeling of his breath at his neck combined with the obvious offer made his whole body shiver with anticipation. He didn’t want to give in, not until Peter told him what he was hiding, but his effect on him was incredible; he just couldn’t resist. The brunette dragged his lips along his skin, planting a searing kiss to the crook of his neck and Harry’s breath hitched.

“What do you have in mind?” he managed to say out these words somehow through the haze that was taking over his brain.

“Remember our little bet?” just the mention of it made him forget how to breathe. “It’s time to see who was right, don’t you think?”

“I…think it’s a wonderful idea” answered Harry, practically moaning as those hot lips wandered around his neck. He could feel Peter smile against his skin before answering.

“I thought so” he chuckled while getting up, dragging Harry with himself. He turned off the TV, none of them caring about the movie anymore, and put his phone into his pocket before making his way upstairs. It felt like an eternity until they reached the bedroom, getting rid of their shirts as soon as they stepped over the threshold. Peter shut the door behind them and quickly turned around to capture Harry’s lips with his own, grabbing him by his waist and directing them towards the bed. Harry opened his mouth to let Peter’s tongue in, pressing himself up against him as close as possible. He was overwhelmed by the other’s presence, his taste, the smell of his skin and the heat of his touch making him crazy. His hands wandered up along Peter’s sides, one of them finding its way into that brown, messy hair. He could barely sense the bed pressing against his calves before losing his balance and falling onto the sheets, pulling the other with him.

He let himself get lost in the feeling, running his fingers on Peter’s skin, mapping out his chest, arching off the bed to get even closer to him. He let out a disappointed growl as Peter pulled away, going on kissing his neck instead. He could feel his hot breath against his throat as the brunette placed his lips on the sensitive area under his ear and started sucking on it. A little moan escaped his mouth at the sensation, unable to hold it back. Peter must have taken it as encouraging, because he started moving downwards, placing kisses and sucking on his skin alternately. He had no idea how or when Peter managed to unbuckle his belt – he was too caught up in the moment -, but by the time those eager lips reached the line of his jeans even his fly was unzipped. The other sucked on the skin just above the fabric before tugging at it, along with his boxers, causing Harry to let out a sigh of relief as the pressure of his clothes disappeared.

Peter moved further down, avoiding the area Harry desired the most, planting searing kisses on his inner thigh instead. The blonde was really close to losing his mind, and his eyes snapped wide as Peter wrapped a hand around him.

“Don’t cheat!” he managed to get out the words somehow, but he wasn’t really convincing, sprawled naked on the bed and panting heavily.

Peter raised his head, his mouth quirking into an impish grin.

“So you’re saying I should stop?” he asked, obviously enjoying the situation.

“With your hands? Yes please!” he exclaimed, his impatience getting the best of him.

“Fine” he could feel that hand disappearing, and he looked up to find Peter fiddling with his phone. He turned it towards Harry to show that he set up the timer. “Ready?”

“Just come on already!”

“Woah, Osborn! How eager…”

How annoying the smug look on his face was! Harry just wanted to wipe it off his face.

“Oh, shut your…” but his words trailed off as Peter started the timer, giving an experimental lick to his whole length. The blonde’s back arched off the bed, a choked moan escaping his throat at the sensation. Peter didn’t waste his time; reaching the top he took the head into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it in the most perfect way. Harry’s hips bucked up, seeking more of the delicious contact, causing Peter to pin him down against the mattress. Then the other started bobbing his head, and Harry couldn’t hold back his moans anymore.

“Oh, God” he groaned, throwing his head back, grabbing a fistful of the sheets under him tightly. Peter was changing the pace unexpectedly; once he sank down slowly, working around his length with his tongue, then fast, making him gasp out loud. He thought it couldn’t get better, but _oh_ , how wrong he was! When the other sank down again, and just kept on going until he had his whole length in his mouth he knew he was fucked. Of course he had to fucking _deepthroat_ him! His half-lidded eyes widened in shock, and his toes curled from the pleasure.

He’s _so_ not going to last!

“Fuck” he breathed, Peter’s throat squeezing his cock in a way that was almost too good to be true. He was nothing, but a moaning, writhing mess, that skillful mouth giving him more attention than he’d ever received. His hand somehow found its way into that brown mess, making Peter moan around his dick, creating a vibrant sensation. His grip tightened in the other’s hair, pressing on his head slightly. His whole body was on fire and he was very, _very_ close.

Then he made a huge mistake; he lifted his head slightly to look at Peter. The sight of him working on his length with closed eyes was beyond hot.

He could see him reaching down into his boxers with one hand to give himself a little release, and that just took it to a whole other level. The brunette probably felt his gaze on himself, because he opened his eyes, looking at Harry without stopping his movements.

That was more than what Harry could handle at that moment; his dark, chocolate eyes were shining with desire, and the sight of it was enough to push him over the edge. That lust-filled gaze sent a burning sensation down his spine, and he threw his head back as all of his muscles tensed up from the force of his orgasm. A long, contented moan escaped his throat as he came, seeing stars behind his closed eyes. Then his muscles slowly started to relax and he felt like his body suddenly turned into jelly.

He had no idea when he let go of Peter’s hair, nor did he know how the other ended up lying next to him, naked. He was just at the threshold of his consciousness, staring at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes, panting heavily. No doubt: he was even better than what Harry had remembered.

“You okay?” asked Peter softly, letting out a small chuckle.

“I think I just died a little” Harry shook his head, still having difficulties in breathing.

“Well, I have bad news for you” stated the brunette with a neutral look on his face.

“What?” the blonde asked, the statement aroused his interest immediately. Well, he was quite sure about the outcome of their bet, but he was still curious how long he had lasted. Peter raised the phone above his head for him to see the final result, but he still had to focus very hard to actually process the numbers.

_1:26._

Harry just stared at it for seconds, trying to put coherent thoughts together. But when its meaning finally came to him he looked at the other, confused and disbelieving.

“Am I hallucinating?” that was the first question that came to his mind after a long silence.

“No” Peter grinned at him mischievously.

 “But why would it be bad news?”

“Well, bad news for me” he said it as if it was obvious.

He was still trying to wrap his mind around it. _He won!_ He just couldn’t believe it.

“Not necessarily” Harry quirked an eyebrow at him suggestively, as much as he could manage to look suggestive in his current state.

“I’m kinda curious, I must admit” Peter bit his bottom lip shyly.

“Well, me too” grinned Harry, suddenly being oddly proud of himself. “But I hope you don’t want it right now, because there’s no way I would survive another orgasm” he didn’t mean to say that last part out loud, but it was probably the fault of the post-orgasmic daze.

Peter just laughed at him, leaning forward to plant a chaste kiss onto his lips.

“At first we have to do a shopping”

“Shopping?” asked Harry, dumbstruck. Peter just raised an eyebrow at him suggestively, but when the blonde still hadn’t got it he rolled his eyes.

“We have to buy some kind of bondage…”

Harry just shook his head with a sheepish, but extremely amused expression on his face.

“I’ve got a feeling you’re enjoying this way too much”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” the brunette’s smile was contagious; Harry found himself looking forward to it as well.

Finally finding the strength he rolled onto his side, their faces getting only inches away. He snuggled a little closer to the other to be able to feel the heat of his body. Suddenly he felt the weariness strike down on him so forcefully he could barely hold back a yawn. But Peter noticed it, of course.

“Looks like it takes very little to wear you out” teased Peter, followed by a smug smile. Harry had to practically force himself to keep his eyes open, and somehow managed to shoot a deadly glance at the brunette.

“Bite me, Pete”

“Damn, you’re insatiable!” he chuckled, causing Harry to let out a tired groan.

“Damn, you’re annoying!” he retorted, voice just slightly more than a whisper.

“Okay, _Mr. Grumpy_ ” laughed Peter. “Get some sleep” he pulled the duvet over them, and Harry could finally give in to the overwhelming drowsiness he had been trying to overcome.


	13. Happy Birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean... I should just stop apologizing. I have no excuses. The amount of time I spent with procrastinating is amazing.   
> But here it is, the new, and slightly longer than usual chapter. I hope it was worth waiting for!  
> Thank you for your patience, please don't give up on me! I'll finish this eventually.

"Harry!"

The voice was too loud to be pleasant; it pulled him out of his sweet dreams. Harry groaned, rolling onto his other side, and pulled the blanket over his head. He hoped that he could get back into his dreams if he fell asleep fast. But apparently the other didn't seem like he was about to give up.

"Hey, sleepyhead!" an ice-cold hand found its way under the covers and touched Harry's warm skin, making the blonde wince.

"Stop it" grumbled Harry, voice hoarse from sleep. He crawled away from those cold fingers, but they just pulled the duvet off his head instead. He nuzzled his head into the pillow, still clinging to the remains of his sleep desperately. He could feel soft kisses against the back of his neck; that was the first good thing about waking up so far.

"Wake up!" sang the other, slipping a hand under the covers again. Harry pushed it away, turning towards the voice as he opened an eye.

"Okay, okay, just don't touch me, jeez" he rolled over so that he could face the other properly. He was already dressed, his hair a huge mess, lying there with a grin spread on his face. "What?"

"Happy Birthday!" the brunette stayed still with the exact same expression he was wearing moments ago, and Harry just couldn't decide how to react. A part of him felt flattered by the fact that Peter hadn't forgotten it. But another part - the bigger part - wanted to sleep, badly.

"You serious? You woke me up to wish happy birthday?" when he realized how harsh he sounded, he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I’m happy you remembered! But you could have just waited for me to wake up by myself…"

"It’s already past nine, I just couldn’t wait anymore…” he immediately went quiet; it was obvious that he didn’t want to say it. After a couple seconds of silence he finally shook his head, reanimating. “You know what? I think you should get dressed. I'll be waiting downstairs" he got out of bed and made his way towards the door. "And if you drop off to sleep there will be no gift for you" with that he left the room.

There it was again; Peter acted like he wanted to hide something from him. Harry was fed up with the lawyer; why couldn't he just talk to him? It had been going on for over a week, and he really wanted to grab the other's shoulders and shake him until he was normal again.

He seriously considered staying in bed, but his curiosity got the best of him. He forced himself out of bed and into the shower. He hoped that gift – or whatever - was worth waking up for.

 

Ten minutes later he was making his way downstairs when he heard the front door being shut, then Peter appeared in front of him. As he saw Harry he clapped his hands together, a wide but slightly anxious smile spreading on his face.

"Perfect! You're ready" he stated as if it wasn't obvious.

"For what?" the blonde asked as he reached the bottom of the staircase, raising an eyebrow questioningly. He had no idea what all the fuss was about.

"For the big adventure!" his smile turned into a mischievous grin as he stepped aside, gesturing towards the door with his hands.

“Pete… what are you talking about?” he didn’t know how to react; he was trying not to get too excited, because he knew it wasn’t possible.

“Happy Birthday! We’re going out!”

“But… we’re not supposed to…” he mumbled, getting more and more confused.

“Come on! Could you stop worrying for a minute?” the brunette rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to sneak you out like some grounded teenager. I needed to go all out for it, but I’m taking you out hundred percent legally”

Harry had no idea what to say, he just stood there, dumbstruck. He was staring at the man in front of him, who probably had been working his ass off to make this possible. _For him_.

“I… you…” he tried, but he felt like no words could express his thoughts at the moment. He could have kissed Peter right there - then he realised there was no reason not to. But he had no time to obey this sudden urge, because the brunette started making his way towards the entrance, gesturing invitingly.

“Let’s get out of here” he opened the front door, waiting for Harry to follow him. “You can thank me later”

“But… I should pack some stuff… where are we going?” he had so many questions he didn’t even know where to start.

“I already packed everything, all you have to do is to get in the car”

Harry finally moved, making his way towards the front door slowly, still trying to wrap his head around this all. With every step he took, he felt more and more energetic, as if getting closer to the outside made the numbness of the past weeks spent inside vanish gradually. He knew he was acting ridiculously – he had even spent countless hours on the roof smoking. So he really couldn’t say he was absolutely locked in. But just knowing that for a short time he could leave the property without boundaries – or with only a couple of them – gave him a feeling of freedom which he hadn’t experienced for a long, long time.

Before he knew it, he was standing on the porch with closed eyes and a huge smile on his face. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, taking in his environment thoughtfully. He tried to memorize every little detail; he had a feeling that it was the beginning of an amazing day, and he wanted to remember as much of it as he could. He marked the way the morning sun was shining on the cloudless sky, the feeling of the fresh summer breeze on his skin, the clicking of the lock behind him and a couple seconds later Peter’s gentle touch on his shoulder. Harry looked up at him, his smile turning into a wild grin. He nudged the brunette’s side with his elbow softly; he didn’t want to let himself get too emotional.

“So, what’s the plan, Mr. Parker?” he teased.

“First, we’ll grab a coffee somewhere, because I feel like I could fall asleep right here”

“Then?”

“Stop trying, I’m not gonna tell you, not yet” he gripped Harry’s arm and pulled him towards the car.

Harry just rolled his eyes, but followed obediently.

“You’re still keeping secrets?” the disapproval in his voice was a little – okay, a lot – exaggerated, but he couldn’t help it.

“Let’s call it a surprise, okay?” as they reached the passenger side Peter winked at him playfully and pecked him on the lips before opening the door.

“What a gentleman” he smirked, pulling on the neck of the other’s sweater – it was so weird seeing him going out without his usual suit and tie combo! – and capturing his lips in another, longer kiss. But before he could really get into it Peter pulled away.

“How insatiable” he huffed, smiling.

“Oh, you have no idea what it’s like when I’m insatiable” it was his turn to wink. Their lame little flirt made him unbelievably happy.

“Okay Mr. You-don’t-know-me, would you get in the car, please?”

“Gladly” he was in the middle of getting in when a sudden thought occurred to him, and he furrowed his brow. Peter noticed it right away, of course.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“Why are you wearing a sweater? It’s going to be hot as balls later”

“Oh” he let out a sigh, visibly relieved that it was nothing serious. “We might need it later” before Harry could open his mouth, he quickly added: “I packed one for you too”

“I’m starting to worry about where you might be taking me” he laughed.

Peter just snorted, shaking his head.

“You have nothing to worry about” he shut the door, rounding the car on the front and getting in on the other side. “You’ll love it… I hope”

 

They stopped at a little café and as soon as he stepped inside, Harry could feel his stomach rumble at the wonderful scent of pastries mixed with coffee. Apparently he forgot to have breakfast in the hurry, and his stomach seemed to have decided that it was time to suffer the consequences.

As they stood in the queue and he was staring at the delicious goods, he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Okay” he turned to Peter. “I want one piece of that” he pointed at a whole mouthwatering fruitcake that had a huge pile of fruit on the top. He couldn’t help it; he’d always been a sucker for cakes and sweets.

“Seriously?” groaned Peter, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly. “Why didn’t you have breakfast?”

“I’m sorry” Harry threw his hands up in the air, frowning. “It’s not like you left time for it, though.”

Peter just shook his head, rolling his eyes again. Harry just loved getting on his nerves.

“Then you should have something more substantial for breakfast to endure at least until noon”

“Pete” snorted the blonde, smirking mischievously. “Don’t play daddy on me. I want that fruitcake” he argued despite knowing full well that the other was right.

“And what if I say no?” he folded his arms in front of his chest, cocking an eyebrow at Harry challengingly.

It was time to play his best card.

“It’s my birthday. You can’t say no”

He could see Peter counting his options, but he didn’t have too many to choose from. He just smiled in disbelief, defeated.

“Fine, you won” he walked forward two steps as the queue in front of them diminished slowly. “Annoying little prick” he murmured under his breath. Harry raised an eyebrow at his statement and was just about to question it when the person in front of them was finally done with his shopping and Pete was the next.

He greeted the cashier briefly and started to list their order.

“We would like to order a cappuccino with cream milk, a coffee latte, two donuts and a piece of that fruitcake” he said that last part with groundless weariness in his voice, and Harry couldn’t help but poke him between his ribs at that. Peter answered with stepping on the blonde’s feet with his heel without even turning away from the counter. Harry couldn’t hold back a small chuckle as he grabbed the two beverages and the fruitcake while the other was paying. He was searching through the crowd to find an empty table, but Peter nudged his shoulder, nodding towards the car with his head.

“Let’s get moving, we have a lot of things to do”

 

As they were tearing along Long Island Expy and Harry took his cappuccino in his hand did he only realize that Peter hadn’t even asked what he wanted. He tried to think of an occasion when his coffee drinking habits might have come up, but he couldn’t remember any.

“What’s wrong?” Peter’s soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He quickly wiped the frown off his face before turning to him.

“How did you know I only drink cappuccino?” he didn’t mean to come at him like that, but he couldn’t help it. It made him unbearably curious.

“What?” it was Peter’s turn to frown, and he glanced at Harry for a brief moment, confused, before turning (most of) his attention back to the road.

“You ordered a cappuccino without asking me at the café” he explained.

“You sure? Because I thought I asked you” his voice got lower with every word; he was practically murmuring by the end of the sentence. Needless to say, he didn’t really convince Harry.

“Come on” Harry laughed, resting his head against the headboard, nudging Peter’s shoulder carefully. After all; he didn’t want to cause an accident. “At least say it like you believe yourself, because I sure as hell don’t”

Peter was drumming with his fingers on the wheel, avoiding looking in Harry’s direction on purpose. At least that’s what Harry thought. But judging from his uncomfortable silence it probably was the case. He didn’t look away; he was studying his profile intently, hoping that this way he could force an answer out of him. But he got something even better; he caught glimpse of a faint blush that was creeping up the Peter’s neck. A satisfied, and somewhat admiring smile spread across his face; would it be possible that after so many years Peter just remembered a little thing like this? He just needed to know for sure.

“Are you blushing?” he pushed, knowing that he wasn’t helping Peter’s unease.

Peter, if possible, turned even more away from Harry, basically looking out the window on his side.

“Shut up” he muttered, but his voice betrayed him. The corner of his mouth was quivering, which he let break into a shy, and probably the most adorable little smile Harry had ever seen. He just took a moment to take his features in, to appreciate his long lashes, perfect lips and those dimples that made him look like a nerdy schoolboy. An incredibly attractive nerdy schoolboy.

Harry shook his head to banish his inappropriate thoughts, and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in.

“You really remembered?” he finally asked, way more anxious than he should have been. He didn’t know why he was making such a big deal out of it, but there was no way back. When Peter made a small nod, his jaw slightly dropped. “But wh… how?”

“I don’t know” he shook his head, visibly puzzled, and looked at Harry for the first time since this conversation had started. “I didn’t even know I remembered. I was about to ask you at the café when it suddenly just hit me. Like, from out of nowhere, I could hear your voice in my head saying: _Only cappuccino. That’s the best_ ” here he paused for a second, letting out a soft chuckle after seeing Harry’s expression. “Don’t give me that look, I know it’s weird.”

“To say the least” he agreed. He took a glance at the driver’s face and finding out that he was blushing slightly from embarrassment he quickly corrected himself. “But not in a bad way!”

Peter seemed to have relaxed after that statement, but still he peered at Harry doubtfully from the corner of his eyes. The blonde flashed a wide, but honest smile at him, punching his shoulder with ease.

“Don’t be so goddamn scared, I know you’re a dork. You can’t freak me out, no matter how hard you try”

Peter’s anxiety completely vanished in an instant. He just rolled his eyes at Harry’s comment, a sneer appearing in the corner of his mouth.

“You know, after all these years… you’re still not funny”

“I am!” retorted the blonde. When all he got from the other was a chuckle, he punched him again. “Literally, fuck off! I’ve been nursing your little soul for the last ten minutes and this is what I get?” he crossed his arms resentfully, looking at the brunette with a pained expression.

“Nah, come on” Pete changed his voice into a sweet, smarmy tone, putting his hand on Harry’s thigh and squeezing it lightly. “You know I’m kidding”

Harry would have been perfectly content with this apology, if the other hadn’t delivered it with a huge grin spread on his face and noises of held-back laughter. He just sent him a death stare and took a sip from his cappuccino to avoid eye-contact with him. The hand disappeared from his thigh – to his biggest disappointment – to shift gears.

“You really want to stare out the window in silence for another three hours? Because it’s going to be a real boring journey then” he added casually.

Harry almost choked on his coffee; he had to concentrate not to spit it all onto the dashboard.

“Three hours?” his voice hitched and there was an almost hysterical edge to it. He immediately forgot about his grievances, turning his head towards Peter with mouth hanging open. “You’re taking me to Canada or what?”

The other just threw his head back, laughing out loud.

“Not a bad idea! Maybe next time.”

Harry’s heart skipped a beat at Peter possibly wanting to travel more with him. But his thriving curiosity soon turned his thoughts back towards their secret destination.

“But where are we going then?”

“Well…” he could see his reluctance; it was written all over his face. It was adorable how he still wanted it to be a surprise, but Harry couldn’t tolerate it anymore. “When I got this idea I wanted to take you to my holiday house in Pennsylvania” he paused for a second, joyfully watching Harry’s jaw drop. However, before he could have asked any further questions he kept going. “But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t gain permission to leave the state with you. So I had to figure out a different trip…”

“But where exactly?”

“I think you’re gonna figure it out eventually” when he got another death stare from the blonde, he quickly added. “I’ll give you a hint: it’s – or at least it was – on your bucket list”

Harry frowned, trying to connect the dots. But when he finally put together the pieces, it was the most delightful moment. He glanced at Peter, a hopeful smile spreading across his face.

“Is it… Montauk?”

When the brunette nodded he had no idea how to feel. Ever since he could remember he had always wanted to visit Montauk. As a child he would dream about it all day, the magnificent parks, natural beaches and the peculiar lighthouse. He was kind of obsessed with it, even in his teens. As his father didn’t really care about him at all, he hadn’t been able to make this dream come true. But just thinking of Peter remembering his biggest childhood desire and willing to carry it out for him filled his heart with joy. And although he wasn’t that obsessed with it anymore, and it clearly wasn’t his biggest wish at the moment, he still got childishly excited.

“I… you… I don’t know what to say” he finally admitted after failing to put together a coherent sentence for the second time this day. Words just couldn’t express the eternal gratitude he felt towards Peter. But luckily he didn’t need to.

“You don’t need to say anything” he smiled heartily at him, saving him from the trouble. He glanced at the driver gratefully, then out the window to watch the running landscape. He needed time to wrap his head around this all.

But a couple minutes later a spectacular sign drifted into his sight, and he immediately snapped out of his daze.

“Oh my God, Pete!” he exclaimed, freaking out the other behind the wheel. “Stop the car!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm sorry, but I probably won't be able to post the next in the near future, because I'm taking two exams in May, and I'm kind of freaking out already. But stay tuned, I'll try to be quicker this time.


	14. Kiss It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! I know it's been way too long, and it may contain errors and bullshit because I'm too excited to properly read through it. Also, I'm posting this from my phone, we're on holiday and I'm sitting in the lobby to steal the wifi. I wanted to post this yesterday, but a huge storm came and washed away everything from TV to internet (sounds like a terrible excuse, I know). But I happily present to you the next chapter. Also, it turned out to be very long and mostly dialogue-heavy, so I hope you won't get bored with it. Enjoy!
> 
> P.s.: Thank you for the lots of wonderful comments! It's an incredible feeling to know that there are people who care! Thank you for reading my story and sticking with me!

Peter practically slammed on the brake, making Harry almost headbutt the dash panel. They were lucky not to have any cars following them, or they could have come off really badly.

“What’s wrong?” he turned towards the blonde with endless concern on his face, eyes wide, chest rising and falling quickly from heavy breathing.

“Nothing!” Harry could instantly see that he had completely misunderstood the situation, and tried to calm him down. He put a hand on his shoulder, hoping that he hadn’t got a heart attack just now. He pointed out the window. “Just look!”

The driver followed the line of his finger and relaxed as soon as he saw the sign. He leaned back into his seat and covered his face with his palms, groaning out loud.

“Fuck, Harry! You totally freaked me out” his voice was muffled behind his palms but Harry could still hear his anguished tone.

“I’m sorry” he smiled; he meant it actually, but he wasn’t able to show any kind of emotion apart from excitement at the moment. “But we should probably pull over before someone comes this way, so could you get over your shock a little faster?”

Peter sent him a death stare from the corner of his eyes, but followed Harry’s advice.

“You’re such an asshole, you know?”he shook his head. “There’s a thing called empathy. You should look it up. It makes human connections a lot easier.”

Harry just rolled his eyes at him.

“Okay Mr. Know-It-All, I’m sorry. It’s just… so many memories. Do you remember?”

Peter gazed out the window and the blonde followed his line of sight. 

“Of course.”

There was only a sign; it wasn’t spectacular at all, with no lights or colors, just plain letters. But it recalled way more memories in Harry’s mind than he could ever have imagined. 

**Welcome to Plainview!**

That was all it said, but it was more than enough; it took Harry back to 15 years before. 

 

It all started when they were about eleven-year-old little brats. Harry’s father had already been a pain in the ass back then, so he used to spend all his time over at the Parkers. He was practically a family member; he usually went there right after school and left really late, but sometimes he didn’t even go home at all. Being an only child, Peter was the closest to a brother to him – aside from the very obvious crushes they had on each other, but the mutuality of which they didn’t discover until several years later. 

One day – on the Friday before spring break, to be exact – they made their way together to the Parker house, as usual, and found Peter’s mom sitting in the living room. They both stopped dead in the doorway – it was odd, considering Mary was working afternoons that week.

“Hey, my dears” she sang, turning down the volume on the TV.

“Hi Mary” Harry was the one to wake up first from the shock of the unexpected situation, greeting the woman with a huge smile.

“Hey Mom!” chirped Peter. “How are you home so early?”

“I took this day off, so that we have time to pack our stuff and get going.”

“What?” they asked in complete unison, dumbstruck. Mary just smiled at their abashment fondly. 

„We're going on a trip!” she announced, clapping her hands together.

Harry couldn't help it; the sad thoughts of his father not caring about him crept into his mind immediately. Of course, he was happy for Peter, but their travelling meant not seeing him for days. Which meant being alone in his room during the whole break. And needless to say, that was the last thing he wanted. 

But it was only the beginning.

„Can Harry come too?” asked Peter after a couple seconds of silence, glancing hopefully at his mother.

„Of course, sweetie! He is a part of the plan as well, don't worry!”

Harry was glancing back and forth between the two of them, unable to comprehend the events he was witnessing. He blinked, again and again. He wanted to say something, he really did, but all words had let him down. People actually caring about him was a completely new thing.

“Really?” that’s all he managed to say out loud after seconds of silence; he had far too many thoughts to handle. 

“Really. Everything is settled, your stuff is going to be here soon” smiled Mary.

 

He could still recall that fond smile crystal-clearly, even at this distance of time. Just thinking about it warmed his heart instantly; Mary was the best mother who ever lived. 

“You know” he started, looking up at Peter. “It was the best time of my childhood.”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly hard to top with a father like that…”

“Fair enough” he let out a small laugh, loving that the memory of his father didn’t hurt anymore. “Was this a part of the plan, though?”

“No... but I probably should’ve said yes, that would’ve been clever” he admitted, shaking his head at the missed-out opportunity. 

“Because you’re totally not clever enough as it is” the amount of sarcasm in his statement was lethal, but he accompanied it with a _please_ look just for the sake of completeness. 

“Stop it with the witty remarks!” he rolled his eyes in annoyance, but Harry could see the corner of his mouth tugging upwards. “You’re still not funny.”

“Yeah, that was convincing with that smile you have going on” he raised an eyebrow playfully, not being able to stop teasing the other.

“When you’re done with your hilarious repartee we might as well get going and expand our trip a little bit”

“And you’re complaining about my sass? Good Lord…” he could see Peter opening his mouth to say something right away, so he quickly continued, raising his hands defensively “Okay, okay, I’m done.”

 

Harry didn’t actually expect Peter to go on a nostalgic walk with him, nor did he think they’d end up wandering around the small town for almost two hours, recalling the memories the place brought up. It was amazing how many tiny details they managed to put together after so many years. The time spent on the playground or at the park, swimming in the lake or the long cycling tour on the bikeway that left all of them exhausted and muscle-bound the next day. And those were just a few of them.

He just couldn’t wipe the smile off of his face as they were walking back to the car, having mutually agreed that it was time to get going. 

“I don’t know what your original plan was, but it’ll be pretty hard to top this” Harry grinned, a hint of challenge audible in his voice.

“Oh, you have no idea” Peter’s half smile was exuding confidence, and Harry had a feeling he wasn’t just bluffing. “We’ll see what you say tomorrow morning.”

“Wait” he stopped dead just a few steps away from the car. “What do you mean tomorrow morning?” 

He could immediately see Peter’s desire to punch himself in the face for saying too much.

“Stop asking questions! You’re ruining the surprise." 

"Oh, come on" demanded Harry. "You're the one that's hinting all the time, it's your fault."

"Just… shut up and get into the car, dammit!" 

The blonde opened his mouth to resist, but he decided against it and just shook his head, turning his back to the other, opening the door.

 

They had been sitting in the car for a little less than two hours, but it seemed like an eternity for Harry. He had been writhing for the past hour or so, but he couldn't find a comfortable position. He also couldn't feel his butt from sitting too much and was dying for a cigarette. Well, he probably could've asked if he had been allowed to smoke in the car, but he knew Peter wasn't exactly fond of this habit.

He tried to direct his attention back to the beautiful landscape around them, but it didn't help at all. He really wanted to ask how much was left of the journey, but he had asked that at least twenty times in the past thirty minutes, and he didn't want to get on Pete's nerves more than he already did. So he leaned against the backrest and closed his eyes with a sigh louder than intended.

"You don't have to be so enthusiastic about this trip, you know" the driver shook his head disapprovingly. 

Despite the overwhelming amount of sarcasm in this statement, it still managed to make Harry feel bad. He sighed out loud, once again.

"I'm sorry, Pete" he turned towards the other, squeezing his hand on the gearshift. "I appreciate what you do for me, I really do. But two hours of sitting in one place is not my cup of tea."

"I know, I was just messing with you" he flashed a cheeky grin at him, in that irresistible way of his that Harry adored so much. "We're almost there, though. For real."

"It's kind of hard to believe since you've been saying this for an hour" he pointed out, mirroring that playful smile.

All he got was a light punch in the shoulder before Peter pointed out the window.

"See?"

And indeed, the 'Welcome to Montauk' sign was right there, and it may have been the best thing Harry saw that day. Well, to be honest, the best thing was definitely the beaming, nostalgic expression on the brunette's face as they were sitting on a bench at the playground in Plainview. But the sign was pretty close too. 

"Yes!" he exclaimed, boxing into the air from the sudden stroke of energy that hit him. He closed his eyes and let it sink in. After all, one of his biggest childhood desires was just about to be granted. 

He couldn't remember how he chose Montauk as such a huge goal, and it may not have been that important since then, but he was still excited to death to finally see it. 

"What's the first destination?" he let his curiosity get the best of him, although he didn't dare to hope for an exact answer, as he got none so far. 

"First, we'll get a restaurant or something like that because I don't know about you, but I'm starving" he stated, completely taking Harry by surprise with this sudden helpfulness. 

"I must say I _fancy_ this idea very much" he couldn't help it; he just had to add a slight British accent to that. 

The glance that the other shot at him was more than delightful: it was somewhere halfway between amusement and horror; it was priceless.

"For the love of God, cut out the accent or I might throw up" he warned.

"Isn't it sexy? Admit it, it totally turned you on" Harry teased.

"No, it didn't!"

"Lies..." 

All he got was an eye-roll from the driver, which meant he was right. 

"Was that all that the years spent in the UK were good for?" 

"Of course not" he bragged. "I speak British slang fluently. I could talk for minutes without you understanding a word of it"

"Oh, please don't" groaned Peter, so obviously exaggerating. 

"Keep telling yourself..." he shook his head. "One day you'll admit that my British accent is hot" 

Peter just let out a small, sarcastic laugh at that, but stopped arguing. Only when he started getting out of the car did Harry realize that they had arrived. He was a bit too focused on their little banter. 

He opened the door, and the mouthwatering scent of food hit him so hard that his stomach started to rumble in an instant. 

"Seems like it's time to eat" remarked Peter as they started making their way towards the building. 

There weren't many people; only a couple and three women were sitting outside, so they asked for the farthest available table. They were seated right next to the lake, which gave them a perfect view on the sparkling waves. 

They took a moment to appreciate the wondrous setting: the sound of the little animals and other living beings in the lake could be heard clearly; it was almost loud, but it was so harmonic and relaxing that neither of them minded. Adding the view on Star Island and it was definitely romantic, more than anything. 

Before Harry could have said anything, a waitress appeared and offered them two menus.

"Can I bring you anything to drink?" 

He glanced at Peter, and it was enough; they were thinking the same thing. 

"Two glasses of dry Cabernet Sauvignon, please" 

Exactly what he wanted, and Peter knew it. They didn't drink wine often, but on one of those rare occasions they found out that this was the favourite of both of them.

"Good choice. I'll bring them right away" she disappeared, only to show up with the two glasses in a matter of minutes. She then took their orders and went on to greet an arriving group. 

Harry smelled the wine - a habit he acquired by spending time with rich British people - and took a sip, letting the liquid roam around his entire mouth to taste every flavour. He knew it was a kind of snobbish move, but it reminded him of the times when he lived in the world of luxury and wealth. Although he sometimes missed the comfort of it, he never regretted his decision of not taking over the family business for a moment. The freedom he had this way could not be replaced by money. 

"You seem very thoughtful. What's on your mind?" 

He hesitated for a second if he should tell him, but he realized he had no reason not to. So he filled him up on the details he didn’t know; how he refused to take over the company and how his secret desire to work in science became reality. 

Peter knew exactly what this meant to him; their curiosity towards science brought them together as children, as they had been both huge nerds back then. He always encouraged Harry to pursue this dream, and seemed very pleased that he actually did so.

“So yeah” he finished the story with a half-smile, leaning back in his seat. “I’m glad I told my father to kiss it.”

“Wait” Peter’s eyes instantly grew to the size of two plates, indicating his enormous abashment. “You actually told him that?”

“Well, not with these exact words…” he said as if it was obvious, but the reality was awfully close to that wording.

He then went on to reveal the whole story to the brunette, who ended up almost choking on his wine, and had to practically wipe the tears of laughter out of his eyes when Harry described their conversation and the reaction of his father after. Even he himself had to pause once or twice because he couldn’t stop cracking up at the memories. Which was surprising, because just one or two years ago these memories would have made him sad, but he happily acknowledged that he seemed to have grown up. 

Apparently they were laughing so loudly that by the time their food arrived they had got a bunch of deprecating glances from other tables, and even the waitress asked them to behave because they were disturbing the guests. 

They somehow managed to calm down, although a suppressed chuckle still escaped every once in a while. But the scent directed Harry’s attention completely to the plate in front of him; they ordered a paella for two, but he had no idea how they were going to eat that quantity. It looked very tasty though; meat, fish, mussels and even little octopuses were scattered on the huge plate of rice. He couldn’t take it anymore: he picked a respectable amount onto his own plate and started stuffing his mouth like there was no tomorrow. 

“I still can’t imagine that situation, you know” Peter shook his head as he started to fill his plate too, amusement clearly visible on his face. “You weren’t really the rebellious kind of teenager. I’ve never even seen you talk back to your father.”

“Yeah” the blonde smiled between two bites. “Our relationship drastically changed when he decided to send me to Britain. I started criticizing everything he did, and saving up money because I was sure he wasn’t going to finance my science studies. And he didn’t” as though proving his point, he paused and took a sip from the wine. “After I successfully took my GCSE, I told him our ideas of my future weren’t the same and applied for computer science.”

“Woah, that’s tough” commented Peter.

“Yeah, it was” he agreed. “After that I realized I probably couldn't make a living out of that, so I got a master's degree in teaching, but it was a pushover compared to computer science."

"That's impressive" the brunette admitted. "No wonder you could come to teach at Columbia so soon."

"Well, I had a whole lot of luck, but let's just say I did my practice at a very reputable school, and it sent my career skyrocketing." 

"But you worked a lot for it though" he stated the obvious, but Harry appreciated it: the man took every opportunity to reassure him, even when he didn't need it. Like right now, he made sure Harry didn't underestimate himself. And it warmed his heart. 

"And what about you?" he asked, the sudden desire to know more about Peter's past hit him like a brick. "How did you spend all these years?"

Now it was the brunette's turn to speak, telling Harry all about his years in college and taking over his family's company, and how he became one of the most well-known lawyers in such a little time. 

By the time he finished, it was well into the afternoon, and Peter seemed to realize that he had other plans for the day, because he asked for the bill, and they left the restaurant hurriedly. 

"Hey, slow down" Harry took his hand gently, trying to stop him as they were practically running towards the car. "We've got all day."

"No, we don't" he seemed to be slightly panicking, so Harry grabbed both of his shoulders and turned him towards himself. "We have so many things to do, and so little time!" 

"It's okay, Pete" he started massaging his shoulders in a soothing gesture, which made him relax visibly. At least he blew out the breath he had been holding in. "Stop worrying, it'll be fine. Come on!" 

 

After that they headed for the beach. It was terribly hot and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. The sunshine broke on the turquoise waves in the most beautiful way, giving the water silver sparkles all over the surface. 

As Peter stopped the car, he glanced over at him and noticed he was still wearing that awful sweater. It was horribly ugly and so obviously a gift, because who would want to buy something like that, honestly? But even in that knitted horror he still looked fantastic, and it bugged Harry more than he would have wanted to admit. He couldn't leave it wordlessly though.

"Aren't you cold? Because I'm pretty sure you do not need that thing right now" he gestured at him, earning a fake-hurt expression from the lawyer.

" _That thing_ is a sweater and you'd better not make fun of it!" 

"Okay, okay, if you say so. But why haven't you taken it off yet? Even I'm dying from the heat and I'm only wearing a T-shirt."

"As I said previously, we might need it later. But fine" he said as if he was doing Harry a favor.

"I can't imagine how we would need it with a temperature like this..." 

He only got an eye-roll before the other quickly pulled it over his head. "Just admit it, you only want to undress me."

Harry wanted to protest, but he was too focused on the way Peter's T-shirt slid up along with his sweater and let a little bit of skin show. He didn't know why it affected him with such intensity; it's not like they haven't seen every part of each other by now. But that stripe of skin - and muscles - was so titillating that his whole brain stopped functioning and revolved around the picture in front of him.

Thankfully the brunette pulled it down without noticing Harry's reaction, but it took the blonde ridiculously long time to reanimate and come up with a reply. 

"If I wanted to, I would have done it long ago" he flashed a cocky smile at him, unable to miss the opportunity to tease him. 

"Alright, Mr. Confidence" he rolled his eyes - he seemed to be doing that a lot when he was with Harry. "When you're over your ego, we might as well go and have fun."

"Why, aren't you having fun? My glorious company should be more than enough."

"Are you done?" Peter tried to look annoyed, but the small laugh escaping his lips betrayed him. "Because I'm terribly close to leaving you here, if you keep this up."

"Oh, you wouldn't do that..." but the other cut him off before he could finish his self-praise.

"If you say you're too charming for that I'm gonna bury you in the sand!"

Needless to say, Harry found the idea extremely amusing.

"Actually I was gonna say that I'm too precious for that, but your version is pretty cool too."

But before Peter could have done anything, he was out of the car, fleeing towards the ocean.

 

They ended up running quite a lot, then they engaged in a mud-fight in the ocean, which left both of them covered in sludge. They had no choice but to head for the changing rooms, where they took a hot shower - in more ways than one - and let their clothes dry in the sun. 

"So" started Peter when they were sitting in the car again, ready to go. "I don't know whether you like hiking and camping, but I was brave enough to book us camping tickets."

He glanced at him, nervousness clearly visible in his expression. 

"Wait, we will sleep here?" he asked, dumbstruck. Since Peter unintentionally gave him a hint a couple hours back, he's been suspecting it, but he didn't actually think it was possible. And the thought that he had gone through all this trouble for him... 

"Well, in the forest, but practically yes" he flashed a tight smile at him; he was waiting for Harry's reaction. 

"So we're going to sleep in a tent, huh?" it was rather a statement, but he had to accustom himself to the idea. 

"I wasn't sure about it" he admitted. "At first I wanted to book a room, but I thought this should be more..."

" _Romantic_?" the blonde offered with a provocative grin. 

"I wouldn't have put it like that, but whatever floats your boat" he grinned back, cocking an eyebrow as to say: 1-0. "I would say it's more memorable."

"Sure" he said, dragging the first syllable, not sarcastically _at all_. "We'll see just how memorable you can be."

Peter just shook his head and started the car, terminating their banter. 1-1.

 

Harry thought they were going to stay at an ordinary camping, but instead of setting up their tent where other trailers and tents stood, they started wandering in the woods. And he didn't expect it to be this good. 

He hadn't spent such a long time in nature for years, and he realized what he had been missing out on. The temperature was pleasant among the trees, and when they weren't having more or less serious conversations they could hear the sounds of the forest: chirping birds in the crowns and even smaller creatures moving around in the dirt. It was lovely.

Their conversations got more and more suggestive as time went on, mostly thanks to Peter. He filled every sentence with hidden meanings, and when it was a totally innocent sentence, he changed the emphasis so it still sounded dirty. He did it on purpose, Harry knew it; he wanted to test how long it takes before he can't take it anymore and just pins him against a tree. And he was awfully close to it, to be honest. But luckily right before he was about to give up and submit to his thirst, they found an ideal clearing for their tent. 

By the time the tent was ready and they "moved in", it was already getting dark. 

They were sitting on a log in front their tent, watching the sunset. Seeing the sky's baby blue turn into various shades of pink was surprisingly calming, and Harry felt the thoughts he had wanted to repress just a couple hours back bubbling up. He was sure he had never felt like this before, never wanted someone so much. Truth be told, he never had a serious relationship in his life either. He had felt like commitment wasn't really his thing. But it obviously changed. He had been thinking about this a lot recently, and he truly wanted to let Peter know this. But he was too afraid of being rejected. Even now when he had the perfect opportunity; _I'll tell him next time_ , he told himself. 

"Thank you" he blurted out, unintentionally crawling closer to the brunette. 

"For what?" he asked as if it wasn't clear enough, flashing a half-smile at him. He obviously wasn't going to make it easier.

"For everything" he looked at the other pointedly. "It means a lot."

"You know I willingly do it for you."

As he stared into those chocolate eyes filled with honesty and something else that looked kind of like fondness, but he couldn't really identify it, he realized that this would be a perfect moment. Now he could tell him what he had finally come to terms with. He even opened his mouth, but closed it immediately. No. It can wait. 

So he leaned forward, cupping Peter's face in his palms, and let his actions speak for him. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter might come sooner, because a part of it has been done for over a year, I just postponed it because it's pretty close to the ending. But don't worry, there are still a couple chapters left!  
> Also, you might need your patience even more, because next year's going to be tough for me, being the final year of high school and all the shit that comes with it. I won't give up on this story, I promise!


	15. Knowing Too Much...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you it'll be up in no time! (Yes, I'm still trying to apologize for the huge delay last time...) But it's here, it's long and the plot is actually moving forward in this one. It's still (very) dialogue-heavy, but the story's going to speed up here, so bear with me.
> 
> Also I've been thinking, and I'm going to change the rating to explicit, because, well, it's obvious. Just thought I'd let you know.

Next morning Peter woke up on his back with Harry lying on him. Well, he wasn't completely on top of him, but he had his arm and leg thrown over him, his head resting on his chest. He was sleeping so peacefully that he didn't have the heart to wake him up by trying to free himself. So he just lay there, fixing the sight in his mind. Seeing his calm features and his messy, blonde hair was worth the wait.

His thoughts wandered back to last night, and just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine - in a good way, of course. He knew Harry wanted to say something, and he should have pushed the topic, because it was clearly important. The other usually says what's on his mind right away, so him holding back something is a sign. He just didn't know if it was good or bad.

But as soon as he kissed Peter, he forgot everything. His hands automatically found their way into that soft, blonde hair, pulling him even closer. It started out slow and sensual, but soon they felt like they can't be close enough. And when Harry climbed into his lap without even breaking the contact of their lips, slowly grinding down against him, he knew he was done for.

Thankfully Harry stirred, tightening his arm around Peter's torso, and it pulled him out of the memory before his mind got to the dirty part. Although last night was definitely something to remember, he didn't want to wake him with an unexpected boner. He started to run his fingers through the other's hair, messing up his bedhead even more. He didn't feel like getting up; this position was perfect, Harry's body on top of him was keeping him nice and warm.

He had to admit that this trip was a very good idea. One would think they could spend a lot of time together as they were living together, but with the amount of work he usually had it was impossible. There were days - it wasn't very common, but it happened every once in a while - when they didn't even meet at all; Peter left for work early in the morning, and by the time he got back Harry was already asleep. He hated those occasions, but he had a company to run, and it wasn't exactly a cake-walk. He knew Harry understood it, and he’d never once heard him complain about it – they were both grown men after all –, but he felt like they still couldn’t make up for the years apart. It sounded slushy as hell, but it was true.

When he looked back down on the other man, he found a pair of icy-blue eyes fixed on his face. He let himself get lost in them for a moment before he greeted him with a wide smile.

“Good morning!” he slid his hand up along his spine, shamelessly enjoying how his touch left goosebumps on that pale skin. He felt him starting to move until he was completely on top of him, their faces just inches away from each other. He put pressure on the back of his neck to bring him down, and as their lips brushed together he let out a contented sigh. He felt Harry biting his bottom lip, gently sucking on it – he knew how much Peter loved it when he did this. Two hands started wandering up his sides, caressing his neck and cupping his cheeks, and his body caught fire as he opened his mouth to let the other’s tongue in. He was about to let his hands explore the body above him, when the blonde broke the kiss, an ecstatic smile playing on his lips.

“Good morning” he practically moaned, breathing heavily. Peter had no idea if the rapid heartbeat he could feel was his own or Harry’s, but it didn’t really matter. It was relaxing to see that Harry was just as much of a mess as he himself.

“How did you sleep?” he asked, lifting his head to place gentle kisses along his collarbone, as if he was drawn to the other man by an invisible force.

“It was quite comfortable compared to a tent” he grinned.

“So what do you say? Should have I booked a hotel room instead?” Peter inquired further, trailing his lips on his skin.

“Nah, it was fine” he answered in that pretentious way of his, but his arms which were supporting him started trembling as the brunette reached a sensitive spot below his ear. “Hotel sex is kind of generic, tent sex is way more exciting.”

Peter let out a light chuckle; he wasn't even surprised at his forthrightness.

"Don't tell me your sex life is boring" he teased, intentionally distorting his words.

"I didn't say that" he flashed a half-smile at him. "There are plenty of opportunities in your house that make it interesting."

"For example?" he knew what Harry was talking about, of course; they did quite a lot... exploration in the flat.

"Let's see... the couch and the kitchen counter were spectacular, but my favourite was definitely your hydro-massage shower downstairs" by the end of the sentence he was practically purring, which did all kinds of things to Peter. The experience lived in his memory - and his body - crystal clearly; that shower was extremely hot in every sense. And this little bastard knew exactly how it affected him.

"Oh yeah?" he played along, grabbing onto his back and rolling them over in the sheets. Carrying said sheets through the forest was a pain in the ass, but he was glad he brought them instead of sleeping bags. How uncomfortable would have that been…

“You have no idea” he whispered, and Peter gasped for air as a hand slipped under the fabric of his underwear. “It had a really _deep_ impact on me.”

“You’re such a tease” he panted, trying to get his brain to work. His grip tightened on the other’s hips unintentionally, holding onto him like he was touching him for the last time. He leaned down to finally make him shut up, but as soon as their lips brushed together an almost painfully loud sound ripped through the air and the moment was instantly gone.

“Oh, fuck me!” Peter exclaimed, resting his forehead against Harry’s shoulder for a moment before kneeling up to look for his phone that didn’t seem to stop ringing no matter how much he wanted it to.

“I was just about to do that” the blonde joked, adding even a little wink to make sure he drove Peter crazy. As expected, he earned a disapproving look followed by an eye-roll.

“Just… shut up” he shook his head, but nearly started cheering when he found the device the next moment. He didn’t need to look at the screen to know what it was: an alarm. He sighed. “We have to get going.”

“Why?” now it was his time to sigh; he let his head drop down onto the pillow, as theatrical as he could possibly get. But Peter had to agree; he wanted nothing more than to finish what they had started.

“We have to get back by noon” he climbed down from on top of him and started rummaging through his backpack for his clean clothes. “That’s what we agreed in with the attorney. But also I have a meeting this afternoon.”

“Oh come on” he sat up, and although Peter knew that the disappointment in his eyes was thoroughly exaggerated, but he couldn’t help but feel bad. But this meeting was something he couldn’t postpone; he could get to know important things about the case that he might need in order to win. At least he hoped so.

“I know, I’m sorry” he could do nothing else, so he apologized. “I’ll make up for it when I get home, okay?”

“Well, I think I can work with that…”

 

Peter hated himself for having to leave Harry alone again, for the millionth time. And although every bone and fiber in his body protested against going, he had to. Even while driving, his thoughts kept jumping back to the events of this morning and last night. It was incredibly hard for him to concentrate, and he soon faced the result of his absentmindedness. He practically jumped on the brake as he saw the street sign he had been looking for passing by; of course, he missed the corner. He murmured a great amount of swears while trying to find a good place for turning back, which was a real pain in the ass considering that it was the middle of Manhattan. When he finally managed to turn back and not miss the street this time, he pulled a post-it note out of his pocket, trying to make out the smudged writing. He could remember the address he'd heard on the phone, but he checked anyway just to make sure. He parked his car when he found a free lot and got out. He looked around and quickly found the block he was looking for.

The building itself was nothing special; it was the same as every other block on the street. It was ten floors tall - if not fifteen - and it had huge windows and well-designed balconies. He hoped there would be an elevator, because the woman he was looking for lived on the 8th floor.

He found her when he was doing research about Felicia; he felt like he might have been able to advance in the case if he knew as much about the victim as possible. And he was damn right; he could barely find anything - even her age was nowhere to be found - just a name, probably a friend he could get in touch with. He didn't want to meet her, but the woman wasn't willing to give him any information through the phone. Peter had a feeling that she might be slightly paranoiac.

It took him way too much time to find the name on the intercom. When he finally did, he pressed the button next to it with a tired sigh. He just hoped this trip was worth it and he didn't drive all the way here for nothing. _If he could finally prove Harry's innocence..._

„Mr. Parker?” the cracking of the intercom woke him up from his thoughts.

„Yes.”

„I'll let you in.”

Peter wanted to say thanks at least, but the buzzing of the door cut him off. He quickly made his way into the building and could barely hold back a whoop of joy when he saw the elevator.

When he stepped out on the eighth floor, the woman was already waiting for him, leaning against the doorframe. Her features were outstanding; her red hair hung in curls just above her shoulders, those forest green eyes shining mysteriously. She was unbelievably attractive.

„Miss Romanoff?”

„You must be Peter Parker” when he nodded the woman stepped back, gesturing for the door. Peter took it as his cue to enter. She closed the door behind them, and guided him into a spacious, bright living-room. „Take a seat! Can I get you anything?”

„No, thank you” he sat down on the white - and surprisingly comfortable - leather couch. „Ms. Romanoff…”

„Call me Natasha” she sat down in one of the matching armchairs. "It'll be more comfortable."

„Okay… So Natasha… Can I ask you a question?” she nodded. „Why did you insist on meeting at your place, when you are clearly afraid to give out information about yourself? If you don't mind me asking.”

Peter didn't know how to take the quiver in the corner of her mouth.

„The thing is: I'm not afraid to give out information about myself, it's a lot more complicated than that. Let's just say I like to stay safe, and this house is the safest we can have” she leaned back, crossing her legs. „Talking about safety… I'm going to tell you strictly private information here, which can result in disastrous consequences if it gets publicity. I need to know that you won't give them out to anyone” she stressed the last word in a way that made Peter shiver, and not in the good way.

"Why would I tell anyone? I don't even know what to expect right now, I sure as hell won't go and tweet it" he tried to ease the tension with joking, but her facial expression stayed dead serious.

"Mr. Osborn isn't an exception, you must keep it secret even from him" Peter's eyes widened; he could only hope there was no intended hidden meaning, because he couldn’t read Natasha’s face at all. He wanted to keep their relationship a secret for the duration of the trials, because it was considered unethical among lawyers and he was sure that the attorney could advantage of it.

"Fine, I won't tell anyone" sighed Peter; he just wanted to be over it. He knew he wasn't very convincing, but he hoped it was enough for her.

"I think I should start with introducing myself properly. This is already strictly private, so keep that in mind."

That was the first time he could see under the surface, and he didn't like what he saw. She was obviously trying to hide it – most of the people wouldn't have been able to detect it - but she was afraid, and really uncomfortable. Just then did he realize how serious this whole conversation was; he thought that Natasha only wanted to scare him, but seeing how scared she was herself, he couldn't do anything but take a deep breath and try to prepare himself mentally.

"As you know, I'm Natasha Romanoff, and formally I am a lawyer."

"Formally? Then what do you do really?"

From the approving glint in her eyes he knew he asked the right question.

"It's complicated, but outsiders would call me a secret agent or a spy. Whichever you like."

"Like the USSS? Protecting the president?"

"Not exactly. I work for the USSS, correct, but in a different area. We are working on tracking down a huge group of criminals…"

"I thought the Secret Service only deals with protection and financial crimes…"

"Naturally it would be the FBI's job, yes. But this case is bigger, and the security of the whole country depends on it, so they gave it to us, because we have connections everywhere, and have better chances to get them behind bars."

"But who exactly are we talking about?"

"The mafia. Illegal trades, drugs, contraband, prostitution… The number of committed crimes that can be connected with the mafia duplicated last year, and have been just increasing since then. We haven't seen such activity from them since the 20th century, and we have to make a move."

"You've been after them for a year, and achieved nothing so far?" he didn’t intend to be rude, but it came out the wrong way.

"It's not that easy. I wouldn't say we achieved nothing, though. I'm sure you've heard about the La Cosa Nostra."

"La Cosa Nostra does not exist anymore" he wasn't sure how to react; he was just confused. In the early 2000's there were a lot of arrests and trials, and in the end every member of the infamous group went to jail. It was said that the Genovese family had members out of sight that could carry on with the business, but it wasn't confirmed nor denied, so when the trials and the mass hysteria were over, people quickly forgot about it.

"That's what the government wants you to think. But actually when the heads of the family were arrested, a man, using the chaos and the panic, started rearranging the mafia and became the leader eventually."

"I thought only family members could inherit the leadership…"

"Originally that was the rule. But our man is very tricky. He worked his way up the ladder, got a lot of influential contacts to the point where he could convince the whole mafia - not just the Genovese family - to change the rules. Then he used his contacts to get even more of them convinced - or to get the ones that wanted to stop him killed. This is how he became the head of La Cosa Nostra. With brains, brutality and a little bit of luck."

"Not bad" Peter shook his head in shock. He stayed quiet for a couple of minutes; he needed time to actually take in the seriousness of the things said here. "Does our mystery man have a name?"

"He calls himself Mr. Sinister, and that was all we knew until not very long ago. He knows how to keep his secrets, that's why it's taking us so long to track him down."

"He couldn't have found a faker name" snorted Peter, but his laughter quickly died off when a thought crossed his mind. "But what does the mafia have to do with the New York County versus Osborn case?"

"That's the second half of the story. Felicia Hardy was one of our best agents, she had worked for us for a very long time. She was a very important part of the team, and she had a very bright future in this career" no matter how hard she tried to hide it, there was grief in her voice, barely perceptible, but it was definitely there. "She was assigned to be the leader of exposing the mafia, and she did an excellent job. No one has ever been able to gather as much information about them as her. She was as careful as possible, but it wasn't enough. And when she finally found out his real name she got murdered under mysterious circumstances. Luckily she had the chance to share it with us, but we have no idea how they found out that we knew."

"Seems like they have people everywhere" stated Peter the obvious.

"Exactly."

"So… is Harry Osborn just a victim of an unfortunate incident?"

"That's right. I'm sorry, but he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Peter didn't mind at all. Maybe just a little. But actually if the other hadn't got into this mess, they wouldn't have met again. He felt kind of bad though; Harry went through a lot of shit because of this, and he didn’t just have nightmares for fun. But still, all he had to do was to win the case, and he would probably win Harry with it too.

He hated thinking about themselves. Well, not really, because it was incredible to have someone waiting for him at home, and just the thought of it being Harry made him feel all warm inside. But the uncertainty about Harry's - and his own - feelings were eating him, so he preferred not thinking too hard about it. He told himself that they would figure it out eventually.

Natasha pulled him out of his trail of thoughts with a not-so-subtle throat clearing, which told Peter that she knew exactly he wasn't thinking about the mafia. It was probably written all over his face. He smiled apologetically, but then a thought struck him like thunder and he was ashamed of not thinking about this right away.

“But if you, and everyone you work with know that it wasn’t my client who killed Miss Hardy, then we can easily win the case! All you have to do is to testify.”

“It’s called Secret Service for a reason, Peter” her expression was slightly apologetic, but he knew from the look in her eyes that it was a lost cause. “I think you know how dangerous it would be if I gave myself and the rest of the service out by testifying. I'm sure the mafia are following the case as they are involved, I'd risk they even have people in the jury just to make sure. I would just get all of us killed and make it impossible to catch Sinister. I’m sorry, but that’s not an option."

Peter sighed. He was suspecting it; if it wasn't absolutely impossible, they would have helped him with the case by now. But still, hearing it really exasperated him. To be honest - and he would have never admitted this to anyone - he had no idea how to win the case. He was an experienced lawyer, and this case was ridiculous; when there's only so little evidence the judge usually doesn't even take it to trial. There needed to be something in the background that would explain why it was still going, and now he knew what it was. Practically the whole mafia wanted to put Harry behind bars, so no one could connect them to the murder. Just like a ridiculous crime story… He almost let out a laugh of disbelief, but he changed his mind in the last second; it didn’t seem like a very good idea. He finally looked up at her, gathering all his courage to ask the most important question of all.

“Am I suspecting correctly that I have very little chance to win the case while the mafia is roaming free?”

Natasha didn’t need to open her mouth to answer, he could see it on her face.

“I’m afraid your suspicion is correct” she pressed her lips together, looking genuinely concerned. “How far this has gone shows that they’re not going to stop until they get what they want.”

That was exactly what he didn’t want to come to terms with. He wanted to keep hoping for the existence of a way to get out of this mess, that he just hadn’t thought of before. But somewhere deep down his brain knew he had gone through every possibility several times, he just ignored it. He bent forward, covering his face with his palms. _This can’t be_ … He rubbed his hands on his face and ran his fingers through his hair; a move of desperation.

“I don’t know your motives” she suddenly started speaking, pulling Peter out of the pit of despair. “But if I were you I would have resigned from this case for my own safety a long time ago.”

It was supposed to be a neutral statement, but it sounded like an advice, more than anything.

“I can’t” he shook his head apologetically. “I’m the only one he can count on.”

This might have told her more about them than Peter wanted to, but at this point he didn’t care. As he just found out, they were sitting neck deep in this shit, so people getting to know their relationship wasn’t his biggest problem. Besides he had a feeling he could actually trust Natasha. He didn’t know why, but just looking at her gave him a feeling of safety, her emerald eyes encouraging him to talk about everything he kept bottled up.

“I see” an omniscient smile appeared on her face; it wasn’t hard to figure it out from Peter’s words, but he could see no judgement in her eyes which was something he didn’t expect. “Well, you can’t really do much here…”

“I know” he sighed out loud. “I’ll probably just try to delay the trials and win time until you… catch them” he knew how pathetic it sounded, but that was the most he could hope for.

“That’s the best you’ve got.”

Indeed. He stood up, a strong urge to do something useful hitting him. Natasha mirrored him, sensing that it was the end of the conversation.

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me all of this” Peter looked her in the eyes, wanting her to see how grateful he was. She just shook her head, looking oddly sad all of a sudden.

“There’s nothing to be thankful for” before he could have objected she carried on. “This knowledge puts you and everyone you care about in great danger."

“I’m aware of the seriousness of the situation, but still..."

"Thank me only if this whole ordeal is over" she cut him off assertively. He wanted to protest, but he had to admit she was right.

They started walking towards the door together, having silently agreed that it was time for Peter to go. He opened the door, stepped out into the hallway and turned back.

"Well..." he tried to think of something to say other than thank you, because he had a feeling she would just punch him in the face if he said it one more time.

"I can't promise that I'll be constantly available, but you know my number" _if anything happens._ She didn't say the last part out loud, but he knew she wanted to. He nodded, letting her know he got the message, and turned around, heading towards the elevators.

"And Peter!" he was about to call the lift when he heard her voice and glanced back, only to see she was in the same position as when he saw her first just an hour or so ago, leaning against the doorframe. "Be very careful!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos on last chapter, it's wonderful to know that there are people who still care! I love you all!


	16. I'm sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know where to start... I just hope that some of you are still here. And I'm sorry I kept you waiting for this long. This chapter has been almost done since September, it was only missing the ending, but my life changed so much over the past two months that I just couldn't make myself sit down and write those 100 words that stood in the way of publication. Anyway, I hope you'll like it, and I'll try my best to bring you an update as soon as possible!  
> P.s.: I didn't read it through, didn't have the patience for it, so let me know if you find any errors.

After Peter got into his car he just rested his forehead on the steering wheel and stayed like that for several minutes, going over their conversation in mind. He was full of contrary feelings; he was too scared to think properly, but he felt oddly calm at the same time, and he wasn't capable of dealing with that at the moment.

He was dying to ask a friend for help; he was sure Gwen would know what to do. She always had the smartest solution to everything. But he realized he couldn't do that; not just because she was the judge and they were not allowed to discuss the case outside of the courtroom, but there were enough people in this mess already, he didn't need to make it more. He would be a terrible friend if he put anyone else in danger just because he needed advice.

So he was alone.

Well, actually not, but he wasn't going to run back to Natasha. He was sure she had her own problems and wasn't willing to nurse his soul.

Still, this was far from being his biggest dilemma. The hardest decision was clearly whether he should tell Harry all of this or not. Natasha asked him not to, and he perfectly understood why. On the other hand, he couldn't decide which option was the more dangerous for him: knowing everything or knowing nothing. It was tearing him apart; he wanted to protect him _so badly,_ but he just sat there, unable to do anything.

Before he could have dived deeper into despair his phone started ringing. He snatched his head up, suddenly forgetting where he left it. The sound was coming from inside of the glove compartment, so he quickly opened it and picked up the device before the caller could’ve given up. Just then did he realize he didn’t even check who was calling him.

“Peter Parker” he said automatically.

“What the hell?” a voice he knew awfully well exclaimed on the other side. “It’s Harry Osborn, you know, that blonde, painfully hot…”

“Okay, okay, I got it” Peter laughed, cutting him off. “You can stop praising yourself, your self-esteem is big enough as it is.”

“It’s not the only thing…” he added smugly, and Peter couldn’t help but snort at that. This guy and his stupid ego... "Anyways, I'm calling because I'm starving, and I thought that maybe you could bring me something to eat?"

"What? Your perfect self couldn't manage to put together a meal?" he was way more proud of this shitty comeback than he should've been.

"We both remember what happened last time I tried to do that" he pointed out, but Peter could hear him smile. It was true though; the burn on his hand was definitely not pleasant to look at, and probably even more unpleasant for Harry himself. "And when I said I couldn't found anything, I wasn't exaggerating. There's literally nothing in the fridge!"

"You and your problems" he sighed theatrically, obviously just teasing him. "But fine, what would you like me to bring?"

"Mmm, maybe Thai?" he suggested. "Or anything that's spicy and unhealthy."

"Sounds okay" he murmured, rather for himself than for Harry. "Try not to starve to death, I'll be home soon."

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll do my best" he laughed then hung up, leaving Peter smiling dumbly at his phone.

 

Harry was in the living-room, sprawled out on the couch, channel surfing. He had been watching an old episode of Supernatural, but that ended more than half an hour ago and he couldn't find a single decent show since then. Discovering the lack of available food didn't help him at all, because he couldn't comply with his boredom eating habits. So he called Peter, but that was also more than twenty minutes ago and he was done. He told himself that his food - and his boyfriend as well, but the food was more important at the moment - would be there in just minutes, but constantly repeating it somehow didn't make him believe it more.

When he finally heard the sound of the front door opening, it took everything he had for him to not start cheering loudly.

"I'm baack!" Peter sung, and Harry couldn't hold back a hearty laugh.

"Took you long enough" he remarked jokingly, laying his head on top of the backrest as if he could see anything other than the ceiling this way. He was surprised when the other's face crept into his vision upside down, placing a plastic bag emitting a wonderful scent next to him on the couch. Judging from the smell, it was Thai food, exactly what he craved. Sometimes he just couldn't get over Peter and his urbanity.

"Someone's a little salty, I see" he let out a small chuckle, resting his elbows on the backrest on either side of Harry's face, bringing their faces closer.

"I'm just hungry and bored" he objected.

"So the worst combo possible" he teased.

Harry wanted to come up with a witty comment, but the other didn't let him. He felt two palms cupping his face, and before he could have reacted, Peter's mouth was on his, those soft, sweet lips capturing his in the weirdest but best way possible. It took him a little getting used to, but to his greatest surprise it turned out to be perfectly comfortable. His hands found their way into that thick, brown hair almost immediately, pulling on it so he could get even closer to him. He felt Peter shift, and soon two hands started smoothing down along his sides and placing weight on his thighs as his lips broke away from the kiss and focused on his neck instead.

"Now this is what I call an acceptable apology" he smiled into the other's skin, slightly panting.

"Why would I be apologizing?" his hot breath against Harry's throat set his skin on fire and sent a delicious shiver down his spine at the same time, causing him to unintentionally strengthen his grip on those brown curls.

"For keeping me waiting for such a long time" his voice was somewhere between a whisper and a groan, so he sounded rather impatient than resentful.

Peter just let out a huff of disbelief and pulled away, running his fingers through his now completely messed-up hair.

"Yeah, sure" he said with an admirable amount of sarcasm. "I'd have been back a lot earlier if I didn't have to get food for you" he accompanied his statement with a pointed look, and Harry couldn't help but rolled his eyes. Before he could have retorted Peter carried on. "Eat it, Thai chicken, extra spicy. I'll go take a shower" he added as he started making his way upstairs. "And don't leave a mess!"

Harry gave him the finger and listened to him laughing all the way until the bathroom door closed behind him. He smiled to himself, shaking his head; _this man…_

The rumbling of his stomach directed his attention back to the bag next to him, which was emitting a mouthwatering smell and was practically screaming at him to eat it. He took it into his lap and found a box inside with plastic cutlery and napkins. He looked over to the kitchen’s direction, wondering if he should get a proper fork, but he decided it would be too much work. He crossed his legs and put them up onto the coffee table, settling in comfortably.

He was barely through his fourth or fifth mouthful of pasta when he heard the doorbell ring. He frowned, a frustrated groan escaping his throat.

“Can’t a man finish his meal for once?” he murmured to himself as he got up. He stopped for a second, just listening, but he could still hear the sound of running water from upstairs. He sighed; he hoped Peter had finished his shower by then so he didn’t have to be the one who lets in the guest – whoever it may be. He took a deep breath and opened the door with the box still in his hand. He realized it just as he faced the person outside, and it was too late to put it down.

“Hey Wade” he greeted the man, trying not to let his surprise show too much, but judging from his amused grin he probably failed miserably. Also, he couldn’t not notice the irony; he met Wade in a very similar situation just a couple weeks back.

“Harry Osborn, nice to see you” he eyed Harry up and down, and the blonde immediately discovered that he didn’t get any less intimidating since their last encounter. “Is Pete home?”

“Yeah… he’ll be here soon. What are you doing here?”

“I came to visit some friends, of course! Can I come in?”

Harry had a feeling he didn’t really care about his answer; he was about to come in anyway.

“Sure” he wasn’t very convincing, but it was enough for Wade. He pushed past Harry and didn’t stop until he reached the kitchen and settled down onto one of the bar stools.

“Can I get you anything?” Harry rounded the counter to open the fridge, his manners overcoming his dumbfounded state eventually.

“Hm, a beer would be nice” he said, resting his elbows on the counter.

“We only have wine or whiskey” he stated apologetically after looking through their beverages.

“Then whiskey it is” smiled the man, clapping in excitement. “And tell me…” he resumed when Harry put a glass in front of him. “How are things with Peter?” he leaned forward as if they were best buddies sharing their deepest secrets.

Harry’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, not quite sure if he’d heard it right or just imagined the question. He blinked, but the scenario in front of him did not change so he assumed it wasn’t his imagination. But knowing this didn’t make it easier; he still did not know what to say. He wasn’t sure how much he was allowed to tell him; he didn’t know much about the laws regarding lawyer-client relationships, but he knew that it was considered at least unethical to sleep with a client and that it could get used against them. They had talked about this previously with Peter, and he accepted it. That did not mean he liked keeping their relationship secret, because frankly all he wanted to do was to shout it out into the world, to tell everyone how happy he is. But he was smarter than that.

Wade sensed his hesitation and luckily saved him from the trouble of making up a convincing lie.

“I see, you don’t wanna talk boys. Too bad, I was dying to hear some juicy details” he sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but he was too taken aback to do so. He decided he was far too sober for this conversation so he poured himself a respectable amount of the auburn liquid and downed it in one shot.

“Damn, that’s the spirit!” Wade whistled appreciatively. “I bet you can hold your liquor a lot better than Pete…”

That was true; the brunette got drunk in a matter of seconds.

“Speaking of which… where is he?”

“Here.”

They both turned towards the voice coming from the top of the staircase. It belonged to an almost-naked Peter with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Harry eyed him up and down and it took everything he had not to let his mouth fall open at the sight. It wasn’t the first time he had seen him this way, not even the second, but it felt like his effect on him was getting stronger every time. The waistline of the towel was fairly low, leaving just enough skin uncovered for his brain to eliminate every ongoing process and focus on appreciating the scenery. Not to mention the way he ran his fingers through that damp hair, pushing it out of his forehead; that just took it to a whole other level.

“Hey Wade, what are you doing here?” he asked, visibly stiff and a little uncomfortable. It must be weird, Harry thought, walking out of the bathroom only to find your previous and current lover in the kitchen, drinking peacefully. He would’ve freaked out by now, that’s for sure.

“Damn you guys, did you write a what-to-say-to-Wade cheat sheet together? Because those are the exact same words I got from your boyfriend” he rolled his eyes. “Can’t you just be happy about my visit?”

“You should’ve phoned here before you came though” he said, completely ignoring the question. “Anyway, I’m gonna change quickly, I’ll be here in a second” with that he disappeared into the bedroom. He wasn’t lying though; it was only a matter of seconds until he came back, wearing a plain T-shirt and sweatpants this time.

“Would you like some?” asked Harry, holding up the bottle for him to see.

“Yeah, thanks” he nodded with a faint, grateful smile. Instead of joining them in the kitchen, he started making his way towards the living room. Halfway through he glanced back at the two of them as if he was expecting they would be right behind him. “Aren’t you coming? I think this is a bit more comfortable.”

They didn’t need to be told twice. Wade practically jumped to his feet, getting through the room with a few steps and throwing himself into the armchair. Peter sat down on the end of the couch which was closer to Wade and Harry took a seat next to him, placing the bottle of whiskey and two glasses on the coffee table. He refilled all of their glasses and sat back, taking a sip and watching the others curiously. He would never admit it, but he was more than eager to find out why Wade suddenly decided to pay them a visit.

They started out with shallow conversations, discussing ridiculously everyday topics, so Harry wasn’t really paying attention unless he was addressed directly. It wasn’t until a sudden change in subject that awoke his interest.

“And how are the trials going?” asked Wade casually. Harry frowned; he had no clue why he would be interested in it. Sure, he was interrogated once because of the knife, but he said the same thing he had told them earlier: he’d lost it long ago and had no idea where it was. So he couldn’t be connected to the case, thus he had nothing to do with it. He shook his head; he must’ve been overthinking.

Peter glanced at him quickly before answering, as if he didn’t know how much he was supposed to tell him.

“Not quite the way I want it to, actually” he admitted.

“How is that possible? I’ve never seen you having trouble with a case before.”

“Don’t ask _me_ ” he rolled his eyes, but under the layer of annoyance Harry could see the overwhelming helplessness that was tearing Peter on the inside. “It feels like everything and everyone wants me to fail.”

“Why would you think that?” Harry felt like a complete asshole for asking, but seeing him this way broke his heart and he wanted to understand him better.

The way he downed the rest of his drink before answering told everything.

“I don’t know” he didn’t look at any of them; he was staring straight ahead into the nothing. “I’m just… so used to success, you know? I’ve never failed a case before – well, except for one time when the client confessed during the trial -, but this one feels like a personal attack towards my self-esteem” he let out a bitter laugh. He seemed relieved though; it must have been the first time he said it out loud.

Wade looked like he wanted to say something, he even opened his mouth but seemed to have decided against it. He clapped his hands together, reaching for the bottle of whiskey.

“Okay, let’s not talk about such depressing things anymore!” he gathered their glasses and refilled them, raising his own for a toast. “To Peter, his wit and his generosity!”

That was the first time Harry felt sincere gratitude towards the man. He made a mental note to thank him later and raised his glass to clink them together.

“To Peter!”

Seeing the brunette’s sheepish smile and the blush creeping up his neck was worth everything.

 

After that the conversation took a pleasant turn, and the amount of funny stories increased exponentially as they downed more and more whiskey. Wade looked completely sober aside from laughing a little louder, but Peter was clearly drunk. He was perfectly conscious, but his speech became slower and a bit slurred and got closer and closer to Harry on the couch as time passed. As for Harry, he just felt pleasantly tipsy, being comfortable enough to actually enjoy himself and laugh out loud at the stories Wade told them. And man, was he an amazing comedian! Of course the stories were so obviously exaggerated, but right there and then they couldn’t have cared less.

“… and this fucking dumbass stepped on his shoelace and tripped over it!” by the end of the sentence he was practically shouting, gesturing wildly. “As if it wasn’t enough he fell into the cat’s bed, and that poor animal scratched every part of him it could reach” he paused, a repressed chuckle shaking his body violently. “I almost peed myself! Apparently I was laughing so loudly that the owners woke up and called the cops on us" at this point he lost it and burst out laughing, which proved to be contagious. Imagining the situation was extremely hilarious and they all laughed together until they couldn't see from their tears anymore.

When he finally calmed down a little, his eyes flicked onto the clock beside the TV; it was almost 1am. He looked back at Wade.

"I'm sorry, but it's time we call this a night" he said, sending an apologetic smile towards the man. "Pete needs to sleep at least a couple of hours, he'll have a terrible hangover as it is..." he stood up, pulling on Peter's arm. "Just wait here, I'll see you out when I get back!"

He took the brunette's hand and led him up the stairs, closing thr bedroom door behind them.

"I can walk to my bedroom on my own, you know. I don't need assistance" he complained as he took off his T-shirt and threw himself on the bed.

"Yeah, sure" smiled Harry, starting to pull on the other's pants after he unbuttoned it.

"Instead of being an asshole, you should come and lie with me" he patted the bed beside him, and Harry found it too damn adorable to resist. As soon as he placed himself horizontally Peter crawled closer to him, smoothing over his jawline and running his gaze across his face.

"And now what?" asked Harry with a suggestive half-smile.

"Mhm... you know..." he lowered his voice to a whisper. "I've been thinking lately, and I realized that just the idea of you being on top... really fucking turns me on" for a second he looked like he couldn't believe he'd just said that; he bit his lower lip but this couldn't stop the impish smile that was slowly spreading across his face. Harry was completely taken aback; he had no idea Peter could get so straightforward and horny while he was drunk. Well, he seemed to be horny pretty much all the time when he was with Harry, but normally he wasn't so outright about it. But _God_ , his confession did unexpected things to his body. As he looked into those chocolate eyes his breath got stuck in his throat, and although the other was obviously drunk, he seemed to be absolutely aware - and proud - of the effect he had on him.

Harry didn't mind at all; his mind was racing as dirtier and dirtier pictures flooded his imagination. As if it wasn't enough, Peter was still looking at him from under his eyelashes with that naughty smile, and he was a hundred percent sure that was the hottest thing he'd ever seen. He cupped the brunette's face into his palms and pulled him even closer, pressing himself up against him. Two hands wandered down his sides and grabbed his ass, and he had to admit he started to like drunk Peter a lot.

"Woah, the alcohol brings out the beast in you" he smiled, intentionally keeping their faces just inches away. He wanted to tease him a little more, but he seemed to have gotten enough of it and pressed their lips together, biting on his bottom one hungrily. A choked, satisfied moan escaped Harry's throat as he reciprocated without a second's hesitation, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss. Somehow he ended up on top of Peter, those hands still on his ass, guiding him to grind down against him. The moans he earned with this movement were beyond obscene; he could barely keep himself from tearing off all of his clothes and grant Peter's wish right there and then.

Only when the other broke the kiss and moved on to shamelessly suck on his neck did he remember that they still had a guest downstairs he had to take care of. He gently pulled away, to which Peter responded with a whine.

"I know, I know" he could hardly form proper words through the haze of desire that occupied his mind, and Peter, with his skilful mouth and smart hands, didn't make it any less difficult. "But Wade's still here and I need to show him out."

Peter nuzzled into the crook of his neck, knowing exactly how it would affect Harry.

"Stop it" needless to say, he wasn't very convincing; his voice was somewhere between a breath and a moan and sounded as though he was asking him to do the exact opposite. And Peter might have been under the influence of alcohol, but he could sense this perfectly.

It was unbelievable how this man was always fully aware of what he was doing. Those hands that were making their way south, that mouth... _oh, God!_ As he felt teeth biting softly into his skin he thought he was about to lose his mind. He shut his eyes, trying to make his brain work. It wasn't easy. But he knew he had to leave the room immediately or he would never be able to. Which, to be honest, didn't sound so bad. He had Peter lying beneath him and countless possibilities regarding the outcome of the night... He would take this any day.

"You know what?" he pulled away reluctantly, the invisible force drawing him towards Peter growing stronger and stronger with every centimeter he put between them. "I'm gonna let Wade out. But" he paused, giving in to the urge and placing a quick kiss on his lips. "If you can wait and be awake until I get back, we can continue this for as long as you want and however you want."

"Sounds good to me" Peter breathed, an ecstatic grin spreading across his face. "Just hurry up please, my patience is running out" he was practically purring, but it did what it was supposed to: Harry jumped up and headed for the door like he was chased. He stopped with his hand on the doorknob, adjusted his clothes a little bit and ran his fingers through his hair; he didn't want to look like he'd just had sex, especially not in front of Wade. He looked over his shoulders one last time, only to find that Peter's eyes were already closed, just as he expected. He had a long day, and the whiskey didn't exactly help with it, that was for sure. Well, they'll have to continue this some other time.

He stepped out into the hallway, heading for the stairs. He heard Wade speak on the phone but didn't think much of it. At least until he actually took in the meaning of his words and stopped dead on the last step.

"He might know something, I don't know for sure" he sounded defeated, more than anything, and Harry slowly turned his head towards the voice. He let out a small breath of relief when he saw that he was facing the living-room window, with his back turned to Harry. He was incredibly grateful for this, because he just had to know more.

"I'm sorry boss, but I don't think that's a good idea."

An uncomfortable chill was creeping up Harry's spine and an ominous feeling settled in his stomach. _This can't be good_...

"I know, but it'll be really suspicious... I think we should stay out of this, we're involved enough as it is."

He could only think of one thing it could connect to, but just the idea of it was immensely terrifying. Meanwhile Wade somehow seemed to get more and more agonized as the person on the other end was talking. His boss must have mentioned something he didn’t want to hear, because he clenched his fist so hard that Harry could see the white of his knuckles even from that distance.

“No, of course I don’t. But you promised he wouldn’t get hurt!” he sounded as if he was pleading, and the sheer amount of exasperation in his voice hit Harry like a brick. Whatever all of this is about, if someone managed to drive Wade to despair, then it must be dead serious. And it terrified him, but he couldn’t help thinking that Peter was somehow the part of the story too.

He directed his attention back to the conversation in front of him, and he had to bite back a gasp of horror; Wade was staring right at him.

Before Harry could have said anything Wade just hung up, sinking the phone into his back pocket, and started making his way towards Harry slowly, step by step.

“I’m sorry, Harry” he spoke, and the scariest of it all was that his eyes actually reflected guilt. “But I think you’ll understand.”

The last thing he saw was the movement of a hand, getting closer to his head.


End file.
